It seems like just yesterday it was the beginning of the new year. Now it is already March. This week in class we have been discussing the genocide that happened in Rwanda. This has always been an important topic for me and I am glad that the students seem to be taking an interest in it. I wrote several research papers on it in graduate school and was amazed to find out how many people didn't know about the genocide. I think it was a shame that the international community turned their backs on Rwanda when several easy steps could have been taken to prevent of to stop the genocide.
This week in my life:
It has been a hectic week for me. It hit 90 degrees in Austin. I am still trying to adjust to the climate change in Texas. I am originally from Missouri and I am still not completely used to it being so warm in February. I was in Missouri last week and the temperatures were in the 20s and there was lots of snow and ice. By the time I got back to Texas it was in the 80s. It is definatley an adjustment.
Things that I have learned since living in Austin:
1. You can wear flip flops all year long. It never seems to get really really cold. Even if it is cold it usually only lasts a day or two and then it is back to being nice outside.
2. Austin Bats:
How Many Bats Live Under the Congress Avenue Bridge?: The Congress Avenue bridge in downtown Austin is the spring and summer home to some 750,000 bats with up to 1.5 million bats at the peak of the bat-watching season. It's the largest urban bat colony in North America.
Why Did the Bats Choose the Congress Avenue Bridge?: While bats have called Austin home for many years, it was after renovations to the Congress Avenue bridge over Town Lake in 1980 that they found their favorite hang out. Narrow but deep openings created in the bridge turned out to be perfect accommodations.
Congress Avenue Bat Flights: Each evening around sunset the Congress Avenue bats emerge like a black cloud from the crevices of the bridge. Covering the countryside in search of food, it is estimated that the bats consume from 10,000 to 30,000 pounds of insects.
Giving birth in June or July, the bats and pups hang around til October when they head back south. Watching the nightly forays for food is a favorite evening activity, especially in late summer.
1 comment:
hey ms. hollrah. I have never seen the bats under the bridge, but I feel like i should sometime in my life since I am an native Austinite. You commented on my picture of a castle on my blog. Over the summer, my family and I flew to Seattle. We spent three days there and now I absolutely love the city. Have you ever been? They have a cobblestone streets and a pier. The pier had vendors, restaraunts, and a view of the ocean. Its hectic, but unlike anything we have in Austin. You think you smell fish even after you've left. The bay is beautiful. It's full of sailboats and fishing boats, and small planes even land on the water. The castle is from Victoria where we went next. I liked Victoria also. It was a smaller town with a nice downtown. I ate fish and chips for the first time there. We stayed at a bed and breakfast. Our outside window faced this castle. It looked eerie at night, but was still beautiful. Willa went inside, but I didn't. The rest of our trip consisted of traveling across Britsh Columbia and Alberta. It was a great experience and I hope to go back sometime, especially to Seattle.
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