Last weekend we decided to make the trip up to Austin to check out the bats. For those of you who may not know, Austin happens to have the largest urban bat colony in the world. Renovations of the Congress Street Bridge in the 80's created an ideal habitat for them and their numbers have skyrocketed since then. The colony migrates to South Texas each summer from Mexico and is made up mostly of females that have their pups while they are here. By the end of the summer the colony reaches up to 1.5 million bats and their nightly exit from the bridge is a well-known phenomenon that draws people from all over the world. For more details, click here.
So we pricelined a hotel and took off Friday afternoon for Austin. After a nice dinner at Matt's El Rancho we got to the bridge near sundown to wait for the bats. Tori was a little sick and the boys were restless so it seemed like a long wait, but the bats finally came out just after dark. It really was amazing to see them--a thick column flying quickly out from under the bridge that went on seemingly forever. It was hard to get any good pictures, but I caught a few of them with my flash. Here are some pictures. Click on them to better see the bats (or Tori's snot).
The boys in front of the famous bat statue near the bridge.
A very small part of the colony leaving the bridge.
Here you can see a small column emerging from the side of the bridge and flying out into the night.
After the bats we hit the hotel to crash and prepare for our IKEA shopping in the morning. Tori had fun laying down with the boys in their bed.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Bat
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8 comments:
Batman was always my favorite superhero. I think I just might go and watch one of the movies. Hmmm should I watch Batman fight the Joker played by Jack Nicholson with his perfect smile? How about the sly Catwoman cast perfectly with Michelle Pfeiffer? Or the really annoying Joker played by Jim Carrey? NO! Wow they really did cast all of those and more perfectly! Or maybe the new Batman played by Christian Bale which was really confusing from his extensive martial arts training, to getting high off flowers, to talking in a really deep raspy voice everytime he puts his mask on? It was still but come on did he really have to talk that way? So about your trip, did you title this post twinkle, twinkle, little bat because that's what you sang the kids that night? Did the boys really enjoy it? I'm sure they did. Poor little Tori with her snot nose. I hope she gets better!
P.S. Have you been fishing at all? I have been out of it lately. But everytime I check the boards its all about the Berry and everyone getting tons of cutts and bows even though its snowing up there and raining a lot.
P.P.S. Is it P.P.S or P.S.S?
P.P.P.S Did I really say P.S. at the end of the last post like a girl?
I think Jon's been getting high of off flowers. Looks like you had fun on the trip despite the sick baby. We'd love to visit Austin, heard it's a great place. Hmmm, maybe we'll live there some day. By the way Jon, Jim Carrey's character was the Riddler/Dr. Edward Nygma in Batman Forever. Duh
Jonny - ever since you would cry every Sunday for not combing your slicked-back Ronald Reagan 'do perfectly we knew you were in touch with your feminine side.
Since P.S. stands for post scriptum, you would keep adding a 'P' each time you wanted to add something else, so you did it right.
My last fishing trip was back in DC with James at Occoquan. I considered bringing a pole with us to Austin but didn't think that would fly (get it? FLY! HA!). Shame on you for not getting up to Strawberry! I have to drive a long way for any decent fishing at all--at least until they stock the trout this winter.
James - You guys are welcome any time to come check out SA-town and Austin. Tori is a trooper when she is sick so it wasn't too much trouble. You wouldn't even know she was sick if it were not for the neverending river of snot. Oh well, I guess since our kids are sick only a few times per year, we'll deal with it.
We had the sisters over last night for dinner. I kept thinking "Humph, spoiled sister missionaries don't know what a REAL miss...WAIT, that's right, my bro. is the Ward Mission Leader, I'd better be nice to them." Thanks a lot.
Nice bats:) My comment is concerning all the places you've visited. So I have proof you have never visited me in the last 2 yrs. South Carolina is not green!
Yeah I can't help but be biased against stateside missions. Everytime my friends complain about the lame Saturn they drove or how they always had to go to the laundromat to do their laundry I just laugh to myself thinking of my experience.
James, that's right total typo I knew that Jim Carrey played The Riddler. I actually had it right the first time before my comment got erased as an error popped up. Don't you love that when you lose everything? Especially nowadays when it rarely happens.
I am a little creeped out by the bats I must admit, but Carson would have loved seeing them. Looks like fun!
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