Bats

I had my first visitor! My friend Sandy was passing through, and got to be the first person to receive my tour. She kindly followed me around as I proudly pointed out things like chairs. Working toilets. Things most people don't really think much about, but of which I am very proud. It didn't take long to show her the one room of the Little House, but I dawdled as much as I could, since afterwards, we headed up to the Blue Castle.

Which I've been ignoring a wee bit. I've been filling and decorating the Little House, so I could have a comfy spot to come back to and write and knit in, and entering the larger place just long enough to grab food and clothes (the LH is a little deficient on closet space and kitchens)(deficient in the sense that there are none; not much use for a kitchen in a hair salon).

We poked into all the rooms; I showed her the floor that I had ripped up, the big beautiful kitchen, and the strange writhing bugs that continue to appear every day. We were just about to head out, when I saw a movement from the corner of my eye. "Oh! It's a bird!" Sandy said. A bird? How did a bird get... "No, it's a bat!" she amended. Squeals and running ensued.

What with sonar cababilities and all that, there were no collisions, and he politely flew out while I held the door for him. It was twilight, and time for him to be roving, so I didn't worry much about rabies. Still. Really gotta get going on that chimney. I didn't actually see where he came from, but that must have been it. Because bats in the high up cabinets that I haven't peeked in yet is just not okay. So he came from the chimney, and left before he had a chance to touch anything.

This morning I went back in the house, singing loudly and whacking a mop handle sharply on all the cabinets, then listening for disturbed rustling noises. Nothing. I think he was a loner, hopefully never to return, since I closed up the one place he may have squeezed through on the stove. Bleh.

On a much, much happier note, I visited my LYS today! Of course Local means half an hour up the road, but it's a beautiful drive to Plains, it's closer than Missoula, and it is a lovely place. She had this amazingly soft yarn from Stedfast Yarns, just over in Bonner's Ferry, Idaho, that literally made me drool. Amongst many other drool worthy yarns. She's only been open a short time, and it seems like most of her customers are still beginners, making lots and lots of scarves out of lots and lots of novelty yarn. It was a great place, and she even holds knit nights, amongst the antique sofas she shares her space with. I can't wait!

I finally hunted down someone to take a look at the windows and bathroom floor. He probably can't do the work for a while, of course, but he'll come look tomorrow, and give me a timeline. I have to get cracking; it feels almost like it's going to snow any minute, and I really want to have the place with the wood stove liveable by then, just so I can have the option.

Aw geez, I just went and looked at the thermostat. It's a chilling, get this, 63 degrees. Sheesh. Yeah, it's gonna snow any minute. I'm a wuss. I need woolies. (which I will soon have; thank you Sandy!!)

Comments

[Rachael]

Sandy's good people. I'm glad she was your first guest. xoxo.

[Sarah]

Humane bat catching: bats can't fly if their wings get wet, so squit them with a squirt gun or a spray bottle, then you can bag 'em up and put them outside. Once they dry off, they're good as new!

[Eva]

when we were looking at our house, considering if we want to buy it or not, we had a nice long conversation with Betty, the owner. She showed us everything in the house and then we came to the boarded up fireplace. She told me that once in the middle of the night, she heard some noise. Came out in the living room to investigate and found two bats flying around in their house. After getting them to fly out the front door, they boarded up the fireplace, put putty in the vent holes and prayed that the little buggers would never come back. We laughed at the story but in the back of my mind I kept thinking, Man I hope they are not still around.

After we closed on our home, we walked into our new home, looking around wide eyed at our accomplishment of buying a home. I stopped in the living room, looked around then looked down on the floor at my feet and found a dead bat lying there. I immediately did the girly thing, screamed and ran away to the wall. My husband started laughing saying "it's all right. I'll clean it up." He walked into the dining room and said "Whoa" and I immediately screamed again, thinking that a whole heard of bats were going to come flying out at me. He laughed again and said "she left the chairs."

He finally found something to clean up that thing, and threw it outside into the neighbors yard.

After calming down from shaking so much (gosh, what a girl) I walked over towards the sliding glass door and open the curtains. Then I turned around and found another dead bat lying on the floor, screamed again and, ran over to the wall, husband still laughing got the dust pan and cleaned it up.

We've owned the house for three weeks now, never found another dead or live bat and hope we never will! Those things are just gross. But I do understand they have a purpose, I just don't want them flying around in my house!