| Archive for San Francisco Bay Area Tarantula Society SF BATS |
| UglyKid2 |
2009 ATS ConferenceHere's the link to the dates for the next ATS Conference. I might be going again this year. I know it's a chunka change to attend but I tell you from experience it's worth every penny!
[/url] http://www.atshq.org/forum/showthread.php?t=20520[url] |
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| DeeCasey |
I will be there! Most likely helping!
Hope to see everyone! |
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| BayLee |
How fun, they sure did announce this yearly this year. THat is awesome.
I will try to go, again this falls on another family event. DI, however I won't miss it. It was awesome last year. I do need to warn everyone about John though.... see for yourself John's MLC 
John skinny dipping 
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| llamamama |
My, my! Lony, I would never have guessed you were a voyeur! With a camera, even! Or were you skinny dipping, too? :shock: | ||||
| BayLee |
ha ha, I guess you figured me out, eh? |
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| DeeCasey |
Wow! :shock: :shock: I think I won't be using the pool! Thanks for the warning!!! 
I think us ladies should ditch the guys and have a night out! |
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| BayLee |
Yes I agree with you. |
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| EdgarOrtega |
Cool I'm totally going then. Estimated costs, please 
thank you! |
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| UglyKid2 |
Well last I checked, the cheapest plane fares are around $300 round trip from Sacramento .
Here's a link to the Esplendor Resort where the conference is held. Last year they gave us a rate of $85 a night which is a very big reduction for the quality of the rooms and amenities.
http://hhandr.com/esplendor.php |
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| BayLee |
I think I paid about $120 for the rental if I am not mistaken | ||||
| UglyKid2 |
$120 for the rental car or the room? I think this time I'll rent me a HumVee!
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| BayLee |
That was for a rental car. HumVee???? Who are you gonna HumVee, John? |
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| DeeCasey |
I call "shotgun!" 
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| EdgarOrtega |
Can't you rent something classy, like a superchaged Jag, or something?
This is all I will ride in... |
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| llamamama |
Too late, Denise...I already have first dibs on shotgun! :wink: | ||||
| BayLee |
muahahah a Jag.... You are kidding right? My ears may perk up when I hear 911. |
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| UglyKid2 |
Now now girls, in a HumVee there's room for ALL of you! :lol: |
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| EdgarOrtega |
Where will I ride?
:-? |
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| llamamama |
Sorry, Edgar, you'll have to be strapped to the roof. Us girls are gonna have a party. John's gonna chauffeur.
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| EdgarOrtega |
Why don't I just make this my avatar...:-P
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| BayLee |
That sound good to me Laurie.
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| EdgarOrtega |
You're all evil. | ||||
| llamamama |
Oh, poor baby. What, you can dish it out but you can't take it?
Well, maybe we could talk John into letting you ride in the trunk. :-P |
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| EdgarOrtega |
I don't dish out. I'm a nice guy. | ||||
| llamamama |
Yeaaaah, right. I'll remember you said that. | ||||
| EdgarOrtega |
Do I get to swim in the pool? | ||||
| BayLee |
Poor baby????
Hah, Edgar needs to be kept on a leash. No telling what he will do. |
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| BayLee |
On a leash, yes. You can swim, Edgar? |
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| llamamama |
Hmmm, well if he has to be kept on a leash, then we probably shouldn't let him in the pool. Maybe we could get him a wading pool, just so he can play and cool off? We want him to have fun, don't we? 
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| BayLee |
Yeah, we do! However John can maybe fill us in how he was on the last trip. I am not sure he should be driving in the same car with us at all. | ||||
| llamamama |
Good point. I seem to remember John saying something about what a nightmare that was...or something to that effect. | ||||
| BayLee |
Yes, I remember.
So, maybe Edgar should take a Shuttle! We could call the hotel in advance and make sure he gets a tent down the street instead of a room and have him charge twice as much. |
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| EdgarOrtega |
maybe i'm busy that week... | ||||
| UglyKid2 |
Edgar told me he likes to pee in the pool... :shock:
Here is a link to good pics from last years conference. The first pic is the view from the hotel parking lot. Surprisingly pretty area for being in the Arizona desert just a few miles from the Mexican border. http://www.atshq.org/conference.htm |
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| DeeCasey |
I would *pay* to see Edgar on a leash!
Yes, Lony, all Guppies can swim!
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| DeeCasey |
Does he blow *bubbles* in the pool too?
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| UglyKid2 |
Wherever he is in the pool it looks like a spa with all jets on! :shock:
They started a thread on the conference over at Arachnoboards... http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?p=1334275#post1334275 |
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| EdgarOrtega |
Edgar's suite at the Esplendor Resort has been booked!
Arizona will never be the same.
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| DeeCasey |
Did you find out what your room number was? That way, WE BATS can request a room as far away as possible......
Anyhow, ATS has updated all the information for the conference. http://www.atshq.org/forum/showthread.php?t=21483 I am booking my room today...$87 a night |
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| EdgarOrtega |
I'll be in the presidential suite swinging from the chandeliers. | ||||
| BayLee |
This actually proof that Edgar has not made any reservations, becasue there is no such Suite at the hotel...lol |
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| EdgarOrtega |
Here are some of the lectures on the itinerary, which I thought may be worth checking out.
--------------------------------------------------- Dr. Kevin Wright will present: A Veterinarian's Musings on Tarantulas An exotic animal veterinarian discusses common problems encountered with captive tarantulas and offers his perspective on areas of research that would help improve their care in captivity. He will discuss several projects where private hobbyists may contribute their expertise and surplus specimens to improve the understanding of their health and treatments. Kari McWest will present: So, what does Superstitionia donensis mean, anyway? Etymology and pronunciation, how to say scientific names and know what you're saying. We all have our way of saying those Greek and Latin, and otherwise species names of our critters and those we study, but are there rules for pronunciation? And what do all those weird names like "Theraphosa", "Aphonopelma", and "Anuroctonus" really mean? Why did the authors give these animals such names? Kari will hope to explain some of the answers, but it won't all be boring lists, there are actually many biologists with a sense of humor! Come prepared with questions of your favorite arachnid names. Incidentally, Superstitionia is for the Superstition Mountains, east of Phoenix, and donensis is for the Dons Camp in Peralta Canyon in the Superstitions, where Stahnke first discovered the species. Orin McMonigle will present: Cockroaches! Discussion includes cockroach hobby history, feeders for arachnids, and pet species including the present knowledge for the heaviest (and most expensive) species in existence. Millipede Husbandry Rearing and breeding tips for the giant spirobolid and spirostreptids with concentration on native species including the largest peninsular species and the albino form of Narceus americanus (only known in captivity). |
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| EdgarOrtega |
Looks like the Espledor is a place where golfers hang out.
This will be a great opportunity to wear my "Golf is Boring" shirt. |
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| DeeCasey |
and bring PLENTY OF air horns too! 
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| UglyKid2 |
I just found out that Stan Schultze, co-author of "The Tarantula Keeper's Guide" will be available for a book signing at the conference! 
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| EdgarOrtega |
Cool! I'll bring my copy.
You going, John? |
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| UglyKid2 |
Well now that the "Rock Star" of tarantula keeping will be there I may consider it! 
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| UglyKid2 |
Here is a link to a thread about whats being donated to the "Mother of all Raffles" at the ATS conference!
http://www.atshq.org/forum/showthread.php?t=22101 Less than 3 weeks to go and people are getting antsy! http://www.atshq.org/forum/showthread.php?t=22425 |
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| BayLee |
That is nice that he will be there.
Darn I am gonna miss it! |
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| llamamama |
You're not going?!! 
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| llamamama |
OK, who's going? My family is going, the Bug Family is going, John is going...any other SFBATS going to this thing?
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| ftorres |
I will be there too.
I can hardly wait now. francisco |
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| llamamama |
Yay! More BATS! Anyone else? |
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| llamamama |
OK, counting down...we leave on Wednesday...we're ready! LOL
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| northswan04 |
Much to my dissapointment I've got to wait one more year for this evening. Our car has a transmission leak, so we're going to get that fixed instead. 
Take lots of pictures, maybe I'll ask someone nice to bring me back a T shirt. I've been watching the raffle thread on ATS too and am definitely missing out, aside from the amazing company who will be there. So many people I wanted to meet! |
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| EdgarOrtega |
Its gonna be a hoot, people! 
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| wburke17 |
I'll be there also. were leaving tomorrow night and gonna do some herpin on the way out..
c-ya guys there. |
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| wburke17 |
We are officially on our way, I'm typing this as we are driving. thak god for cruise control. JK riding shoot gun.
We will see everybody sometime tomorrow.. |
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| llamamama |
I'm here! It's been pretty cool so far. Went herping/blacklighting on Weds. in Corn Springs where we camped on the way. Lots of scorps, not much herps. Too hot (102 when we set up camp after dark). Saw nothing in the way of T's or signs of T's.
Dee, I already bought another campestrata from Brandon at Reptist.
Most of the cool lectures are tomorrow. Today is the field trip to the Desert Museum. I'll check in later...my husband brought his awesome new laptop with him. LOL |
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| UglyKid2 |
This has been an awesome trip so far, lightning and thunder right after the meet 'n greet Thursday night. A great panel discussion Friday morning about the current state of arachnid keeping with our very own Ken MacNeil and other great minds. After that we went to the Arizona-Sonora Desert museum, got back just in time to have my book signed by author Stan Schultz then went for a nice swim. Tomorrow I'm looking forward to lectures and seminars, the pizza party and the Mother of all Raffles! I saw some vials of P. irminia on the raffle table with "Napa, CA" written on them! After inquiring I found out they came from Marlene. Be funny if I win one and it ends up back in Napa, lol.
Lony prepares to drive her $114,000 Tesla rental car to the conference 
Al lectures scabies members Kyle, Warren and Francisco on appropriate behavior at the ATS. 
Fielding questions from the audience are from left to right: Stan Schultz, Ken MacNeil, Dr. Brent Hendrixson, Orin McMonigal and Kari McWest 
A 2"plus Hogna carolinensis (Wolf spider) I got from Tarantula, Inc 
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| BayLee |
John thanks for posting that picture of me.... Nice ride if I may say.
Oh and that 2" wolf spider is more like 5". John is a bad estimator. Weather is hot but it is nice to be back at the Esplendor. Today is filled with lectures and classes. Can't wait to get started. I better go dry my hair now. Oh wait, I really don't need to, with this weather it'll be dry in 3 minutes. I took aleady about 200 +/- pictures, more to come for sure. |
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| northswan04 |
I feel special John, thanks for mentioning that :-) Sweeeeet ride, is that for real?! Looks like a good time. If someone finds any apenopelma "new river" for sale under $25 and brings it back I'd be happy to reimburse and then some Looks like a blast, post more stories and pics!
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| Ricky Ortiz84 |
man this looks like a great Time I wish I could have gone oh well always next year =) | ||||
| UglyKid2 |
More pics....
Orin McMonigle gives a lecture on cockroaches 
Al Wolf handles a beautiful Lasiodora polycuspulatus female from krazy 8's table at the Spider Mall 
The ATS raffle about to begin... 
Laurie checks her raffle tickets and Lony takes more pics! 
The awesome pool 
On our way to look for tarantulas 
Ken and I found a few Dactylotum variegatum (Rainbow grasshopper) 
More to come later.... |
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| wburke17 |
HAHAHAHAHA SO true so true.
I think we behaved ourselves pretty good for the most part, except for being caught skinny dipping at 3am if that counts??? Al lectures scabies members Kyle, Warren and Francisco on appropriate behavior at the ATS.
Heres a link to pics that I took, enjoy http://s117.photobucket.com/album...rke17/ATS%20Conference%207-23-09/ |
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| UglyKid2 |
So THATS what all the commotion was about! LOL It was great to see you guys there, looks like you made out pretty good collecting...Great pics Warren, thanks for posting |
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| BayLee |
I was wondering about the commotion out by the pool! When do you Scabies ever behave? I had that horrible rash after Francisco kept on walking by our side during the raffle. Thank goodness he started going the other way. |
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| EdgarOrtega |
Gosh, did i miss any good stuff?
Looks like everyone had a super duper time.
Maybe next year. 
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| llamamama |
ATS CONFERENCE 2009
Cockroach Races 
Raffle Prizes 
Ken's Booth 
Bug Baby Korryn, Bug Wife Georgi, and Warren 
John says "Where *did* that shiny green beetle *go*?" 
Assorted Beetles 
Assorted T's 
View from the terrace 
The raffle is about to start! 
Kyle and Warren 
John and Lony have their tickets ready 
Francisco won a crab! 
At the Tucson Desert Museum 
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| EdgarOrtega |
Awww I should have gone and been the resident baby sitter.
Anyone else win some crabs or other goodies? Your kids are cute, Laurie. |
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| northswan04 |
Francisco, what kind of crab was it?! | ||||
| llamamama |
Thanks, Edgar. My kids had SFBATS t-shirts to wear at the conference, too.
I'm almost embarrassed to say that between Al and I we came home with *quite* a lot of raffle prizes.
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| EdgarOrtega |
You know what would have been cool? A king crab... cause he could have eaten its legs off. That would have been rad.... and way delicious.
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| wburke17 |
You guys did make out like bandits. Frisco did pretty good himself. I won four things including the adult female B.verduzi that Lony tried to *Ahem* claim 
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| EdgarOrtega |
Al is always the coolest prize!
How many people were there, ya think? |
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| llamamama |
Warren, if you ever decide to sell the verduzi, Al is interested in buying it.
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| BayLee |
Hey Warren,  and some right back at ya.
Nice avatar, for as second I thought this was a picture of someone I know...lol. But then I realized it wasn't. Did you get a good shot of her at the conference? |
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| llamamama |
ROFL!
I don't know what the final attendance was, but I was told it was more than expected. The organizers expected fewer people than last year because of the economy, but quite a few more attended than last year. There were also a lot of people who registered for the conference when they got there, so there were folks who attended that the organizers didn't plan for.
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| EdgarOrtega |
Yeah.. its good to have people at meetings.
I wish I could have gone to cause some trouble. |
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| llamamama |
It would have been cool if you were there to video some of the stuff!
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| EdgarOrtega |
I would have made a movie. It would have been a drama. And there would have been music and lots of twists and a surprise ending. In the end, all the spiders turn out to be ghost spiders. |
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| BayLee |
Hey guys, I won't get my pictures up till the weekend. As always I took way to may, like 500+. I need to sort through them and get them onto Flickr. I am like 1/3 done.
The attendance was the best ever, hard to tell how many. |
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| llamamama |
Here are a few of the new residents at my house.
Greenbottle Blue sling aka "Starbucks" (lol, thanks, Ken!) 
My whole weekend was good because I scored the only E. campestrata at the conference, to the best of my knowledge. 
I like the RCF roseas so much that I indulged and bought another one. Not the greatest pic of it though. 
Raffle prizes: A. versicolor (hard to remember that the ones I have were that small a year ago) 
P. irminia 
H. villosella (woohoo!) 
I didn't take pics of the other irminia, P. pulcher, A. minatrix, or the smithi sling. 
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| wburke17 |
Actually I gave the verduzi to Frisco for future considerations ;)
There was well over 100 in attendance according to Patrick, we had 3 in our group that didnt register till we got there. |
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| llamamama |
Well, *whoever* has the verduzi, Al is interested if you decide you don't want it someday! lol
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| UglyKid2 |
Great pics Laurie. it was all over too fast!
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| BayLee |
Ok here are some teasers:
At the Roach Race 
The one and only Stan Schultz 
Our very own Ken 
And look who we've got here: Dr. Brent Hendrixson, Orin McMonigal and Kari McWest 
On the way to the National Wildlife Museum 
Great disguise 
Rattle snakes 
Aphonopelma sp. 
Debbie from North Dakota 
Picture perfect sky 
Cacti is awesome in AZ 
Dragonfly, what species I do not know. 
The Cave [list=]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3597/3768467314_f9e2c763cc.jpg[/list] 
And look what came across our path... 
John 
Debbie again 
Very well fed Prairie dogs 
John again, trying to prove how big this Cactus was 
These are very tasty... Yummy! 
Cute Ocelot, he was resting right in front of me. 
And look what we found... 
Debbie holding our find at the museum 
I don't know her name 
And more cactus 
At our first hike. Emily with Mission an African Gray, a couple had with them. Mission loved all the attention and was very friendly. 
Moth 
Scorpion 
And more cactus. Oh by the way I had one stuck to my leg too. My legs got scratched up pretty bad. 
Larry Nelson brought Pat's Miracle. This female survived a Tarantula hawk sting two years ago. Pretty lucky girl if you asked me. 
Ok that is it for now folks! Here is the slide show:http://www.flickr.com/photos/thebaylees/sets/72157621755990345/show/ More pictures later. |
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| UglyKid2 |
Great pics Lony, the desert museum was awesome! | ||||
| Revan |
I learned a lot at the conference, my millipedes and t's will thank me! If I was more outgoing, I probably would have met a few of you, but I am a bit shy in new situations. Didn't come home with any new tarantulas, but that was probably for the best as I flew there! I came home with a list of everything I want now though. | ||||
| BayLee |
I was close of getting arrested at the Tucson airport. Close call... yikes. I almost wet my pants for sure.
Had four T's in my purse. |
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| ftorres |
Hello All,
Well, Al and Laurie were not the only only taking the raffle items. I think between SFBATS and SCABIES members we took 70% of the raffle prizes perhaps more. I came home with 2 t shirts 1 video 1 B boehmei female 1 B verdezi female 1 tri color moon crab G lateralis from Lesser antilles 1 A hentzi female 1 B smithi male 1 B smithi female I will try to post pics when I get a chance. Warren was really generous when he gave me the B verdezi |
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| llamamama |
LOL! Yes, Francisco definitely won the best prizes.
Al and I came back with... newest edition of the Tarantula Keeper's Guide mounted T in shadow box frame $125 gift certificate for educational science/nature catalog Exo-terra 12x12x12 habitat t-shirt B. smithi sling A. versicolor sling A. minatrix sling P. pulcher sling H. villosella sling 2 P. irminia slings Al give the P. nigricolor to John. Maybe John will post a pic of it. I think that was it, I might be forgetting something. Between the raffle and the spider mall, we came back with a box full of T's. The best prize, though, was being there.
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| UglyKid2 |
Al tossed it to me right after he picked it up off the raffle table and I'm still in shock! Thank you Al, this is such a cool spider. She's about 3.5" and always out except for whenever she grabs a roach she snaps back into her hide like Thing's hand in the coin bank, lol! Stalking a dubia 
Grabbing dinner 
Deposit made 
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| EdgarOrtega |
Al sure is a great guy.
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| llamamama |
Nice pics, Kid! She's beautiful!
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| ftorres |
Hello All,
Here are some pics from the ATS conference and other activities Ron,Johnny and Warren at the Hotel Room 
Francisco,Ron,Johnny and Warren at the hotel room 
The room 
The view 
Handsome guys :lol: :lol: :lol: SCABIES invaiders 
More Scenery, nice view! 
The Hotel and the parking lot 
fountain 
True Bug found at the edge of the parking lot. 
Kyle shopping 
Kyle showing off 
Kyle being his true self 
Ken the bug guy table 
Ron @ Ken the Bug guy table 
John Uglykid (SFBATS/SCABIES) 
Orin McMonigle from Elytra and Antenna 
Tantulas Inc. Rebecca hall 
Art Table 
Raffle table 
Raffle table 
Brandon's table from Reptist 
Krazy Eights table 
Lony (SFBATS) and in the background Chris and Diane fisher 
Christian Elowski and Anette 
Chris from Krazy Eights 
The kids table (Warren,Johny and Ron were told to stop playing around since it was for Kid, real kids.) :shock: :D JK 
Nice T shirts were for sale. 
Patrick at the Sexing section. 
Paul Bollinger from Florida and the Bugwife 
Here is Me, Peter klausen (Bugs In CyberSpace)and his wife 
Night Collecting At Pena Blanca Friday Night My set up Nice Moths 
Nice Beetles 
My friend Bob Duff's and his Canadian friend real professional set up. Mercury Vapor lights run by small generators. Notice the amount of stuff these sheets and lights attract. 
Johnny was walking away from Warren, I think Warren told him that he looked like a walking condom. Johnny was wearing the poncho to protect himself from all the moths, small,large and Huge that were crashing at us on their way to the sheets. 
Noticed the two lights one is a black light and the other one is Mercury vapor light, these two produce two different light sprectums, not all the bugs are attracted to the Mercury light and vise versa. Some Bugs just fly to the edge of the light, and not to the sheets so we were regularly walking around the camp to collect some cool stuff. Most of my Dungs,Water bugs and Strategus were collected at the edge, not at the sheet. 
Warren being very selective, he almost look like a pro. 
Nice Tiger Beetle 
Me next to the sheet, 
Saturday Night Collecting at Pena Blanca Kyle and Scott looking at moths on the sheet. 
Pure Darkness, wait I hear a noise perhaps a Bear??? or a Chupacabras??? 
Oh no it was only Warren,Anette and Dawn (dawnsfall on ATS) coming back from collecting scorpions down the road. 
Warren acting like a chupa cabras!!!!!! I did not want to tell him, he had a huge spider going up his shirt. 
Moths started to come and just land around us, lots of nice ones. 
These were taken on our way back home. 
I hope you like the pictures. Can't wait for next year. |
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| Arachnocat |
Wow! That's an amazing amount of bugs on those sheets! I really want to do that someday. Thanks for the pics. They are awesome! | ||||
| UglyKid2 |
Thanks for posting these Francisco! You really show what the conference is all about. Man, I wish it was time to go back already....
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| llamamama |
Cool photos, Francisco! Thanks for sharing! I'm ready to go back!
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| BayLee |
Super cool pictures. Friday night you did not catch many moths, but looks like Saturday you guys had the right lighting. | ||||