Final Bat Flight.....

Autumn continues on. The leaves are now blowing off the trees and fluttering across the ground.  Bare branches of trees ready for winter slumber. Some are still in their radiant foliage of reds, oranges, and yellow. The last flights of Rose Guano Cave are in action. The kids and I were happy to go up to see the winged mammals in their October symphony.... before they leave on their hibernation route. It was a beautiful, warm early evening.

The Mexican Free-tailed bats were already beating their wings as Ava and Isaac climbed the rope into the mouth of the cave.......

The sun began to set. The light painting the valley floor and warming the rocks of the cave before it disappeared. A bone-warming October glow.

This trip up, I wanted to focus on the researchers this time as they process the bats and release them after collecting data. They have a smooth system and it amazes me that they account for 500 -900 individual bats each night here. Impressive.

I have a great appreciation of bats and I am reminded that they play a valuable role in the web of life. They too contribute to this delicate balance of our planet.

Tale of Two Seasons

Our long dry spell was interrupted by a quick moving storm that brought a little precipitation. Rain in the valley and snow on the mountain. I knew this would be a beautiful day to see the autumn colors. Finally! Almost 2 weeks late this year! I went over to Grandpa Hank's house to see if he wanted to go for a drive. He was happy to! Burrr, the wind was blowing at 9,000 ft at Mather Overlook. But grandpa kept saying how beautiful it was. He also asked "Has this road always been here?" Haha
He's getting more forgetful. He was really impressed with the snow, because when we left his house it was very warm in the valley. Quite the drastic, noticeable change in temperature.

10,000 ft at the Summit Trailhead the snow had more depth. Not enough to be dangerous. It was already melting under our feet. One of those blink and you'll miss it opportunities. Carpe' Diem! 
Grandpa got out of the vehicle a couple of times, but he enjoyed sitting inside and looking out the window. We discussed how the snow makes the colors pop out more. The words "so pretty" repeated several times.

So, here it is, the tale of two seasons....... Fall and Winter combo.

We drove down to the campground to the meadow......

Nature's artwork:

We finished up the trip with lunch and an ice cream cone at the Great Basin Cafe.
He was full from his chili and I told him that he didn't have to eat all his ice cream. He looked at me with wide eyes and exclaimed, "I'll eat it all!"
Hahaha

It was a special, wonderful day. What a treat.