» Man...Is it over already?

While everyone is getting ready for a little time off (4th of July), we just got back from our short honey-moon. We spent a few days at Valley View Hot Springs, a "clothes optional" kind of place, if you know what I mean. It was quite relaxing. The San Luis Valley (known for some ufo sightings) is amazing! Some forest fires in Arizona brought some smoke to the mountains, but you still could have a decent look across the valley: hike to the top of Prospect Mountain. We also got to hike to the bat caves on the old Orient Mine. Surprising, the bats are Brazilian free-tailed bats (glad to know I wasn't the only one there), about 250,000 of them...Here is a short video clip of their take off (about 8:50PM): the Brazilian bats (more on the photolog)

No news on Sandy. She is gone for good, I just hope she's ok. On the other hand, one of my neighbors broght me this turtle last Tuesday. One of his kids smuggled it from Mexico a few years back. The poor thing looks like it hasn't got much calcium, the whole carapace and plastron are in very bad shape, not to mention it may have a respiratory infection. It's a female wood turtle, more likely a Rhinoclemmys pulcherimma. So I'm turtle sitting for a few weeks, trying to give this baby a better chance. Right now I'm calling her Juanita. Perhaps I'll even educate my neighbor Daniel a little about turtle care. It was inevitable...I became "the turtle dude" in my neighborhood...

I also installed the SCARECROW this morning and finished the outside turtle box: