Autumn Leaf Of The Day #24

 

“And I feel as I always do that Autumn is loveliest of all.

 There is such a sharpness with the sweetness—”

 
~Katherine Mansfield 

 

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #13

 

“Listen! The wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves,
We have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!” 

~Humbert Wolfe 

 

I love early evening in autumn. It has the most beautiful sound to it. Geese, and other birds coming in to roost for the night, and leaves falling from the trees that are easier to hear, because all the human sounds begin to wane. I love October evenings. And at the end of the month, all of it comes together with the sound of children trick-or-treating. These are very happy sounds, and very rare.

Saying Goodbye To Summer

 

“Nothing ever really goes away--it just changes into something else. Something beautiful.”

~Sarah Ockler

  Twenty Boy Summer

 

On one of the last nights of seeing the bats fly from underneath the Franklin blvd bridge, a single crispy brown cottonwood leaf feel gently onto the wall next to me. There was a stunning sunset, and a few early bats were flying about, which all made for quite a magical night. With the night coming sooner, and the bat population waning, and a dry leaf, it was apparent it was the end of summer. I didn't need a calendar, because autumn was mostly in the air, but celebrating it early just seems wrong this year, so I held onto the photo until now. I am not feeling rushed the way I have in the past. Dylan's passing made me realize just how fast 16 years goes by. Don't take any single day for granted. Anyway, this is my tribute to the end of summer. It was hot this summer. Really hot. But here, in the last days, the temperature has turned and I have an extra blanket standing by. If I had to lose my boy, I am glad he left me in summer. You see, I need fall this year to be a gentle distraction. My grief is deep, and the election is coming, and there is a lot to unpack about everything, but for now, I am living in this moment. One moment at a time. One emotion at a time. One broken heart at a time.

The very first, Leaf Of The Day, photo posts on Sunday! Don't forget!

 

To The Bat Bridge, Robin

 

 

"Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb."

 

~Batman 

1960's TV Show

 

So, the Mexican Free-tailed bat is finally back! I think of them as a summertime adventure, but technically they are definitely a springtime visitor as well. We came across them, for the first time, late last summer. It was all quite by accident, which is the best way to experience any adventure for the first time, and it was delightful but unfortunately they were only a few weeks from returning on their migratory path. I only got to see them a handful of times. It was disappointing, but I resolved to be ready for their return. So, I spent my free time this past year, learning about them and prepping for their return. Things like what to look for, listen for, and oh, hey, what's that smell? If don't hear anything in particular, but you know for sure that bats are located in a certain area, the smell of ammonia is a big clue that they are nearby. Most folks probably wouldn't like the smell, but to be honest, I love it! It's certainly distinctive. It's a little like bat pee mixed with bat sweat. That sounds terrible, I know, but to me all it means is, Honey, I'm home.

 

98% of my experience with the bats is amazing. I get to learn about lighting with my camera. I get to learn facts about bats that I never knew before, for instance did you know they are amazing pollinators? They are as beneficial as the honeybees are. The sunsets I get to see are truly awesome, and the people you meet who share that passion with you have always been really fun to talk to. No politics. No suspicious heaviness in the air, just a couple people enjoying a part of nature that is, by erroneous popular belief, misunderstood. All in all it's very rewarding, except for the fact that I am ultra allergic to one of my bat friends favorite meals, mosquitos. I am sitting here right now with my feet swollen twice their normal size, large welts, and deep painful red "burn" rash from the bites. I left home without spraying my clothes with deet, or putting my boots on. What a mistake. Had I learned nothing from the summer of 2023?

 

I am going to let my feet heal, then I am going back to the bridge, probably sometime later this week, or early next week. I love my bats, and no one is going to keep me from studying them. They clean up the mosquitos and other pests, and pollinate beautiful night flowering plants, HELL, I wish I could own a bat of my very own! Or a colony of bats, yes, I would definitely own a whole colony of them if I could!