Friday Odds and Ends

Last weekend I was in Austin for my granddaughter’s graduation celebration. She opted for a party at home with some of her friends from school, as well as several adult friends that she enjoys. So it was a casual, fun party, and I am so glad I was able to go and share in the fun.

Her whole family was involved with the party preparations, including her younger sister, who got a taste of what it will be like in a couple of years when she graduates.

This table was where guests could sign the dog, as well as fill out “advice” cards to drop in the red box. There was lots of red around the house.

The second day we were in Austin, my friend wanted to see the bats come out in the evening for feeding. These are Mexico free-tailed bats who take to the skies in flights of 60+ miles per hour, soaring 2 miles into the sky before leveling off to feed on Austin insects.

The following information is taken from the website Bats In Austin, where there are a lot of interesting facts about the bats and the allure of watching the nightly spectacle in Austin.

Whether a bat enthusiast or not, many just love to take in an evening view of bats in Austin as one of the many local Austin, Texas attractions.

Thanks to Lady Bird Lake, formerly Town Lake, circa 1980 renovations making a home for the bats in Austin, Texas, the South Congress Bridge, also known as the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge, bats put on a nightly spectacular show of dynamic aerial flight typically lasting 45 to 60 minutes long.

The Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge (formerly known simply as the Congress Avenue Bridge) crosses over Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas. Before construction of the Longhorn Dam was completed in 1960, the bridge crossed the Colorado River from which Lady Bird Lake is impounded.

I didn’t get pictures of the bats, as I was not in a good picture-taking area, but I did get a couple of shots of lovely places along the lake. And I did see the bats as they took to the sky. It was quite fascinating to watch them form two lines and then see the two blend into one.

I didn’t know those people. They just happened to be in range when I took the picture of the cactus and the pretty blue flowers. I thought the balance of the blue and green was quite lovely.

Our touristy path took us to The Austin History Center, where my son is the manager. We got a private tour, and my friend had a good time looking through albums of photographs from the years when she was a student at the University of Texas. I just had a good time looking at all the old photographs.

We also had the opportunity to have our picture taken in cut-outs that are part of the current exhibit at the History Center.

 

That’s all for me, folks. I hope you have a great weekend planned. Be safe and be happy.

And don’t forget to enter the contest at the Kindle Book Review for your chance to win a 10″ Kindle Fire, Amazon eCard, and a Bookworm coffee mug.