Poor Grades

National Children’s Book Week is almost
coming to a close, and so is my Blogathon 2010. If you haven’t
guessed by now, I give cave tours in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. I’ve
also written and illustrated a new children’s book entitled “Dad,
the Tooth Fairy Didn’t Come!” www.jerrybegly.com/tooth. What else
is going on in my life? I teach skiing in Aspen, Colorado. I’m
building a 3400sf. Log chalet off the grid high in the Colorado
Rockies. My 7 children, my wife, and I are building it all
ourselves. Literally all of it (with very few exceptions). I enjoy
jeeping, hiking, mountain climbing, fishing, playing my banjo, and a
multitude of other pastimes. When it comes to grading me on life, I
get all “F”s. Faith, Family, Friends, Fun are the mainstays of my
existence. Oh, and Food. Thanks for the Fajitas, today, guys…

The Beauty Channel

Who comes on my cave tours? Everybody. That’s what makes it so fun. Today, I had guys with tattoos all over their body standing next to Amish tourists. I’ve had Adult, educated, Europeans standing next to runny nosed little American kids. Somehow, we all are able to come together and enjoy the incredible beauty underground. I like that. It’s not like we have to fight over what channel to watch. We only get one channel underground-the Beauty Channel. Let’s all explore it together.

The World of Fairies

I get to show the little girls the
Fairy in the Fairy Caves. Ooooo. Ahhhhh. I get to show the little
girls the Tooth Fairy in my book “Dad, the Tooth Fairy Didn’t
Come!” www.jerrybegly.com/tooth. Whoooooa.Who’s THAT? The hero is
a very unlikely person for rescuing the parents from Parental Tooth
Stress Syndrome.

Would the Last Bat Out Please Turn Out the Lights?

I can’t find any more bats in the main
part of the cave. Our last little guy seems to have disappeared for
the summer. He was sleeping all alone near Exclaimation Point. I’ll
bet he woke up from his long sleep and said “Hey guys, where did
you all go? Guyyyyys! Come on out. You can stop hiding, now. It’s me,
Henry. Alleeeeeeee Alleeee in Freeeee! Then he flew off to enjoy his
summer activities.

The Ground Drops Out

Today, one of my tour groups ran into another tour group at the top of “The Barn”. We’re talking about 40 people here. That guide said, “Jerry, do you guys want to do a complete ‘lights out’ with us since nobody’s down below us? ”
“Sure,” I said.
The guide reached for the main breaker which is not supposed to be used for turning out the lights and was getting ready to flip it off. I yelled “No not that one!” as I ran toward her. “That’s the switch for the trap door where those people are standing!” I exclaimed. I heard some nervous laughter from the group. When we switched off the proper light switch, the lights below us were still on. It didn’t get dark. Not wanting to appear completely ignorant of the switches, I said, “Oh, somebody didn’t turn off the lights off below us. Nice joke.” With that our groups parted. Tour guides have more fun than you’ll ever know.