PREVIEW = unenhanced, unfixed, uncropped, etc., and not edited down to as small a set as the final album will be.

The Baird/VandeKopple Clan met in the low desert for Christmas 2005. They converged from Rochester, Jenison, and Sacramento to spend a few warm, dry days in the desolate beauty of Death Valley National Park. From the 25th through the 29th, they ventured from their holiday homestead at the Furnace Creek Ranch to destinations such as Badwater, Wildrose Canyon (charcoal kilns), Zabriskie Point, Twenty-Mule Team Canyon, Stovepipe Wells (sand dunes), Golden Canyon, and Scotty's Castle. There was even a bonus visit from Dean's buddy Chris and his fiancé, Mary as we watched the eminently forgettable Alamo Bowl.