A Sci-fi Moon And A Sunset Sky

"Despite what everyone thinks about science fiction, ultimately, at it's best, 

it's about humans beings with human emotions."

~Greg Frasier

Last night, on the Franklin blvd Bridge, was wonderful. I was with my fella, the air was nice with a slight breeze, and the moon was gorgeous! The bats, unfortunately, was another story. Their numbers were lower than last week, and as a result, there were fewer Swainson's hawks. The sky bands that did occur were quite sparse, so the hawks that were there, were able to pick the bats from the sky with ease. That always leaves me with mixed emotions. I guess the hawks need to eat too, but the bats do so much good with eating the mosquitos and no-see-ums, and with pollinating the night blooming flowers. The whole thing had me thinking of what an interesting Sci-fi story it could be, I just wish I had any writing skills. I am a visual person I guess. I have always had ideas for short stories, but somehow I just can't get them from my brain, to the keyboard on my computer.

Daydream Believer

 

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"A flower will always grow in the direction of the sun, because beauty recognizes beauty."

~Matshona Dhilwayo

Just short post today, and a little late too I am afraid. Shrug. I am a little tired, so I am going at a slower pace. I want to visit the bat bridge tonight. Because of the Anemia I am tired all the time, so I have to plan for my visit. But happily I have found a bug repellent against mosquitos, Gnats and No-see-ums, which I am also highly allergic to. So it's a sun shiny day, and a warm night so all is right with the world!

Weekend Escapes

 

"Saturday's the world that's better place again."

~Golden Flower

I'm taking a few days off. No recipe. No odd political word of the week on Sunday. I want a little time reading, and birding, and batting. Yes, the bats are back, and I will have photos on Monday! We went out Thursday night and enjoyed a really nice night of the first flying of the bats for 2026! As a result I have 25 individual bites from assorted creatures, mosquitos in particular, which need treating. 

OUCH!

 So, enjoy your Saturday and Sunday! See you in a couple days.

Song Of Nature

 

“In their previous lives, poets were bats, and thinkers were owls.”

 
~Michael Bassey Johnson,

  Song of a Nature Lover

 

  

The bats of 2025 were beautiful, but that's not a new revelation. If you know me at all, you know I fell hopelessly in love with every single Mexican Free-tailed bat the visits each year. But this year I cherished them even more, as their numbers at the Franklin boulevard Bridge were noticeably fewer. As were the mosquitos. The two go together. It was disappointing and a little scary to witness such a change. In years past, the bridge would be lined with my fellow bat enthusiasts, the kids love it! But between the strangely cool summer we had, and the lack of our bat friends, it was an unusual year for nature in the San Joaquin Valley. I have also noticed less birds here as well! I am obviously not sure whether it is the decline of the ecosystem due to Climate Change, caused by greed and ignorance, or just one of those off years that happens sometimes! I have my suspicions. California has done better than most states in our fight for environmental causes, but we are far from perfect. There is discarded trash everywhere in the valley. Folks throw their old furniture and tires anywhere they think no one will notice. The folks around me just don't care! Stocktonians are dead inside.

 

Speaking of which, while I was working on this post,

 this happened, right outside my bedroom window... 

 

CBS 13 Sacramento

BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG

SIREN, SIREN,SIREN, SIREN, SIREN

FIRETRUCK

 

(Silence)

 

Stockton Police helicopter circling, in a beautiful sky, above my home.

(Falcon One)

 

It's been 2 hours and the police still have the streets closed off.

 

DRAMA. Useless drama.

 

( Sad, Scared, Depressed, Silence) 

 

Man, this post went sideways fast! 

 

Okay, so lets just focus of the beauty, shall we?

 

 

Stay Safe My Friends,

 And Be Grateful For The Beautiful Things In Life.

On The Last Full Day Of Summer... Reflections

 

Mockingbird

Bruceville, Road

September 2023

 

“I think the sun is a flower.
That blooms for just one hour.” 

~Ray Bradbury

  All Summer in a Day

 

Today is the last full day of summer, and strangely, I am not as happy about it leaving as I have been in past lifetimes. I am not sure how I feel about it all. It was a dreadful summer in ever usual sense, and in the sense that I my niece and nephew passed away, way too young. The temperature outside didn't seem as hot as in past years, or perhaps it was just me, floating in a sea of cold thoughts that gave me the chills every night. After we got the news, I wanted more out of the summer, something to make me forget the pain and to help me avoid the sudden bursts of grief that would not only haunt my daydreams, but my sleep as well. But there was very little to fill that need. Although, happily, and quite by misadventure, I went looking for birds on Desmond road one day, only to not find a single one! On the way home, I did find a bridge, with several thousand Mexican Free-tailed bat emerging from beneath!

 

The Mexican Free-tailed bat is NOT a bird, it's a bat, but it was a winged creature and I was intrigued! I came home, did my research, thought about it, and the next night hubby and I went back to see and stand among them as they ventured out for the night. And venture out they did! You know. I posted about it a few posts back, I met the challenge of being around a scary bat, without fear! I got to feel proud of myself, have a lot of fun, and even forget, for just a moment, about the pain I was in. It was a summer gift! Imagine that! Summer has a glorious redeeming gift that I can now revisit every night in July and August next year, if I want, but really, I think a few nights next summer will do! Why not every night? Well, as it turns out I am allergic to mosquito bites. It's called Skeeter syndrome. The bite reactions are itchier and more painful then most folks feel. They also blister. ITS NOT FUN! But Benedryl Gel is excellent for healing them should they blister, so it was all ultimately worth it!

 

So that was my summer adventure. We now kiss summer on the cheek, and send it off to it's well earned sleep. Goodnight summer.

 

 

Dragonflies Damselflies And Sunflowers

 "Dragonflies are reminders that we are light and we can reflect light in powerful ways if we choose to do so."

~Robyn Nola

We visited Yolo Bypass Wilderness area yesterday, and while there wasn't a lot of birds to be found, it was great for finding out about the timetable for when it will be ready for the aquatic birds heading our way. There were definite designed water ways ready to go. Islands of reeds for the wrens and blackbirds, and everything mowed deeply for better viewing. Like everything good heading our way, it will happen soon. I just wish soon was now.

There wasn't many birds, but there were gardens of yellow sunflowers to see and photograph, and more dragonflies and damselflies then I have seen in previous summers/autumns. Good eating for the bats that roost under the overpass that borders the wilderness are along HWY 50. One thing is there to eat the other I guess, I am not fond of the system, but that's how things work. Ugh, duck hunting season is about to begin. November I think. And I am dreading it. Some of the hunters aren't fond of the birders and can be downright rude. Shrug. It's only a few bad apples, so we ignore the ignorant.

 

I simply go about my business of photographing whatever my camera sees. It's hard to explain, but I think dying weeds are kinda pretty. It's all about the story of the year, or maybe just the summer. Either way, I enjoy sharing that story. And while I don't hate dragonflies, in fact I look forward to photographing them, I don't really want one in the car with me while I am at Yolo. LOL. There were so many creatures flying about that some of the larger of them were pacing my car, if not making serious efforts to become passenger. Basically they thought I was their UBER.

 

It all worked out. We finally moved passed the areas with large groupings, and few of them actually posed for me, as did a particular White-faced Ibis. There was a small flock of juveniles. They fly in tight flocks, so spotting them coming in was easy and a happy sight. All in all it was a very pleasant adventure. It wasn't too hot, we learned about scheduling, and there was plenty to photograph. I am glad we made the trek to Davis. And we picked up free sandwiches from Jersey Mikes, which was a perk of T-Mobile Tuesdays. I hope there will be more of that in the coming months. Birding is an amazing hobby, but there is some work involved and having a free sandwich to look forward to means a lot. But even if there is no free sandwich, you will never keep me away from the birds and bats. I can always sleep in the car on the way home.

 

I love naps at the end of a happy day!

 

 

BATS! It's The End Of Summer!

 

“The basis of all human fears, he thought.

 A closed door, slightly ajar.” 

~Stephen King,

 Salem's Lot

 

I always thought I would be afraid, if I ever encountered a bat, but as it turns out, nope, I wasn't scared at all, and I found that out, just the other night. You see, hubby and I were driving home, along Franklin blvd, on the bridge that goes over the Mokelumne River, when suddenly thousands of the Mexican Free-tailed bats, flew really low over the road! It was an astounding sight, and equally astounding was the fact that there were folks on both sides of the road taking photos, and videos, and enjoying the experience completely!

 

Well, we circled back, and hubby decided to check what was happening. I stayed in the car. There was NO WAY I was going to get out of my lovely and very safe, Mini Cooper, just to stand in the midst of a million or so vampires. Nope. Not on this earth.Well, Alan was gone for about 30 minutes, so I was kinda sure he would be wearing a cape and fangs when he finally got in the car, but again, nope! All he was wearing when he got in the car, other than his clothes, of course, was a really big giddy smile. He went on to explain that standing on the bridge, as the bats flew off into the Twilight, in search of their meals,  was a really cool experience and he believed we should comeback the next night, so I could give it a try!  

 

I wasn't completely sure that was something I wanted to try, but after some thought, and a little reading on the Internet, I found out the specific species of bat that called that bridge home, was not something I had to worry about! It's called the, Mexican Free-tailed bat. It migrates from deep in South America, and it only spends a little time in this area, mostly the summer months, then it will continue on it's way north as Autumn comes. We might be able to see them at the Yolo Bypass early in October, but for the most part they will be on their way possibly this week, so we found out about them just in time.

 

I did something new. I got to be brave one more time. That is a good thing. Alan, and a medium sized bat, helped me gain a little more bravery in life, funny that! I am still conquering fear at 61 years old! It's not over for me! I can still move past the things that hurt me, and hold me back, which is a good lesson, because this has been one cruel summer. I lost my niece. She died. I also lost my nephew. He died too, but it was by his own hand. He committed suicide. I wish I knew why. I wish I understood my niece's car accident.

 

In addition, I wish I understood the death of my favorite actor, Treat Williams. He died on June 12th. According to the police report, he never had a chance. I think when all is said and done, and I know everything about their deaths, I will have grown a little more, because it all still hurts me, scares me, and in fact, devastates my whole being.

 

So, in the meantime, life goes on. There will be victories, and probably more pain along the way to closure, but there will also be great joys too! Like finding out that bats are sort of cool, and not at all interested in hurting me, as they go about their life. I love all the nature in the Central Valley, and as much as I hate to admit it, this place is starting to feel like the best home I had ever lived in! So I am a little sad that my new friends will soon be on it's way, just when I got to know them.

Oh my.

 

 

The Things You See If You Look Close Enough

"Light makes photography. Embrace it. Admire it. Love it. But above all know it. Know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography."

~George Eastman

That quote about light it true! Know your lighting! Photography, like most things, is about practice, practice, practice. You need to take photos of everything, and you need to take photographs in as many lighting situations, and opportunities, as you can! It is in practice that you will see things through your camera lens, that you would probably miss otherwise. Take this lamp for example. Alan and I are in full decorating mode, having just bought our first house, but he gets a little lost in some of the smaller details, so he left to me the task of picking out the lamps for our living-room. I took my time. I waded through catalogs, and visited store after store. I finally found this lovely Victorian style torch lamp, by Better Homes & Gardens, at Walmart. I bought two, and now they sit along the long wall in the living room, at right and left sides of our couch. They look really nice, and they compliment the general decor nicely. There is just one thing... do you see it? Maybe you don't. Maybe you won't see it even after I point it out. But here goes... do you see a BAT in the scroll-work of the shade?

When I purchased these lamps, I did something I almost never do, I bought them without photographing them first! You see, I usually take my camera everywhere with me. The doctor. The post office. The zoo. The bank. I  especially like to take my camera with me shopping, so I can refer back to items I really like, but for whatever reason I find myself sitting on the fence over. But the day I went shopping for the lamps, I forgot my camera and I was too tired to go all the way back home for it. Now I remember why I got so obsessive about bringing my camera with me everywhere! Bats on shades! LOL. I know, I know, it's supposed to be a leaf design, and yeah I can see that it's leaves, but at the same time, I still see the bat too! LOL. 

Oh well... that's okay... I love Halloween and now I have a lamp that will remind me of it every day!

That worked out well!

Preseason Autumn Leaf Of The Day

#2

Mood: Happy But Perplexed

~Me :)

If I Ever Go Missing, You Can Find Me At The Zoo

From For Ellipsis

"Animals have these advantages over man: they never hear the clock strike, they die without any idea of death, they have no theologians to instruct them, their last moments are not disturbed by unwelcome and unpleasant ceremonies, their funerals cost them nothing, and no one starts a lawsuit over their wills."

-Voltaire, letter to Count Schomber, 31 August 1769

Last week, Alan and I received free tickets to the Oakland Zoo, so we decided to get out of the house and have a little fun. It was a day before I felt any twangs of the flu,thank goodness, if we would have waited one more day to use them I couldn't have gone! Timing is everything I suppose. Anyway, sick or not, I could spend the whole day at the new Fruit Bat exhibit just talking to them. What wonderful, fascinating creatures they are. Beautiful animals.

Actually, all the animals were gorgeous, but I don't know which I enjoyed more, the bats or the chimpanzees. The bats reminded me of Dylan and Hendrix. Especially this one, who has a favorite stuffed animal, a rainbow colored bear. He actually cuddled with it, as he slept upside down. There is something kind of wonderful about that! The chimps were just darn cute, and pleasant to be around. It's a tough choice. If I go by the number of pictures taken, I suppose the bats win. LOL.

From For Ellipsis

From For Ellipsis

From For Ellipsis

From For Ellipsis

From For Ellipsis

From For Ellipsis

The Oakland Zoo has some terrific videos, click here to see their video page. Go have a look!

-Carly