Attracting Nocturnals

Britton came in the other day and said, "I wish I was nocturnal."

I just smiled, but I was thinking, "You mean you're not?"

He has never been a good sleeper. He's always been a night owl. He can stay up and up and up. It doesn't matter what we do to try to enforce an early bedtime, he just isn't tired. If he has a sleepover with cousins or friends, he is always the last one asleep. If we're having a late game night, he has to stay up just as late as we do. And he loves the night time. He loves the stars and moon.

He's not the only nocturnal creature around these parts. Several years ago, we had 4 owls living in our big tree in the backyard. They were so cute.

Then, this summer, apparently we had several raccoons living somewhere in our backyard, feasting on our neighbors gardens. We never actually saw them, but our neighbors did and they were able to catch them and get rid of them.

And just the other day, the kids came running in, telling me they found a bat. I didn't really believe them. So I went outside. And, in a crevice of our tree, sure enough, there was a tiny, little bat hanging upside down, sleeping soundly. It was actually quite cute. I went out today to try to take a picture, but it was gone. I don't mind that it's gone since I didn't want my kids getting anywhere near it.

So, what will be our next visitor? A tarantula? A hedgehog? My kid's love Sonic, the hedgehog. Or how about a cute little one of these? Who knows, maybe we'll even have a visit from Lupin one of these full moons.

Whatever it is, chances are, Britton will be up waiting.