"Guano Happens"

It was a beautiful evening to do science.  We were able to join in one more time before school started. Such a neat experience and watching the bats is always a joy.
It was a cloudless, almost full moon night.

Willow and I decided to watch the bats from another angle this time. We hiked up to a nearby arch and got a side view of the action.....

I brought my camera do try some moonlight, night sky photography under the arch.
Here are some before and after shots:

Stars weren't as bright with a full moon but it was still beautiful.

Here are surveys from the previous years:

Bat Survey 2015
Bat Survey 2016
Bat Survey 2017
Bat Survey 2018

My favorite experience with bats is from a couple of years ago on a dark and stormy night.
(posted HERE). But, each moment learning about bats is a cool one :)

Last Days of Summer

Tick Tock the countdown to school is on the clock. We knew the summer would fly by. The reservoirs are still full from snow melt. It's been great. Swimming is a major activity around here.

We helped Aidan celebrate his 12th birthday at EskDale. It was a pool party but just as it started ~ the sky opened up and pounded the basin with heavy rain. We waited it out and eventually the sun came back out and the kids went swimming. Quickest monsoon I've seen! Fierce but short-lived! Haha

"When life brings a downpour, you dance in the puddles" 

Can Clara and Willow get any cuter? These two :)

Home farm pond is such a fun place to get wet.....

School is ready to start but we still have hot temperatures. Kinda throws us off a little. Guess swim season isn't over yet  ;)

Bat Surveys

Bryan has had a busy season. Lately, he's been doing a lot of night shifts. Bat surveys.
We've only joined him once out in the field this summer. Hopefully we will get out with him another time. We have had a insect (specifically mosquito) plagued summer! The kids haven't been able to sleep outside in the yard. I have an even greater appreciation for these winged mammals after being chewed on by bugs!

The kids were happy to try on the waders and waddle around. Nets were placed across a natural spring just before dark.

It was a slow night for processing at this particular location. Not too many bats, but plenty of stars!
I walked around with my camera.....

It's always cool to see a bat up close. Critters I used to cringe at, but now have a better understanding of them. "We are all part of the web of life," as Walkin' Jim Stoltz would sing.

I was delighted to capture this meteor since there were several amazing ones that whizzed above us in different directions. Sometimes you get lucky looking up. 

This revved up my interest in continuing more night sky shots in the month of August.