Warm weather, cool nights, a great time to be outside! Summer is a favorite season for many hot springs guests. Those who have been here for a few years know that calling ahead is important. The bats take up summer residence at the mine starting in mid-June, the fireflies are blinking all summer, and camping is an inexpensive way to enjoy the outdoors. Remember that the wildlife is also more active. Many people are surprised at how tame are the deer in our little herd. They are not very nervous and will let people get close. However, please don't feed the deer as that teaches them that people have food and can make them aggressive. The past few years we've been lucky and bears have not been a problem. The few we've seen have just moved right through. Keeping campsites free of food helps to reduce attracting bears and keeping food in the food storage cabin keeps them from being lured into your camping spot. We are providing bear proof litter containers for trash that will also deter the marauding deer. We are again providing buckets to hold the food scraps. The buckets of compostable scraps are relayed onto the chickens and magically transformed from bear bait to chicken manure quickly and efficiently. Please don't include egg shells with the food scraps as that teaches the chickens to peck at and eat their own eggs. If you see a bear, report it right away for everyone's awareness.