Monday, July 29, 2013

Mystery Bat Escapes?

Last night I was in bed sleeping when I was awoken by Pickles leaving my bedroom in a rush. Soon he was on the first floor barking. With dread I followed him downstairs but paused on the second floor and hid out in the bathroom, peering through the door opened a crack until I saw the bat fly onto the stairway landing, followed by Pickles (almost flying), and then they dashed away again. A few minutes passed while I devised a plan. I could go downstairs, open a few windows, grab him and sequester upstairs hoping that the bat would find its way out the window. The thing was, I was afraid to go down there. I didn't have a hat and what if the bat attacked me? I couldn't muster up the courage. So I woke up my husband and dragged him downstairs. I don't like to do that but he missed the last half dozen times there was bat excitement and I thought he could play the husband role for me this time. We went downstairs and as we did, we heard Pickles drinking water which meant he must have killed the bat because otherwise he wouldn't stop for a break. He stopped drinking though, and started hunting around which meant the bat had gone underground and was no longer apparent. Perhaps it had gone behind a piece of art, or into drapery, behind the tv or couch. There was no carcass and Pickles was still on high alert. We opened the windows and I dragged Pickles away and closed my doors. He didn't seem to sleep as soundly as he would have if he had dispatched that poor flying mammal. I did though. I slept well. This morning he was very eager to go downstairs and continue the search. As of this writing no bat has been found. I hope it found its way outside.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Bat Killing at the Bricker

It's been a while, I think because I had some finishing work done on the Bricker and all of the trim is covering up the holes in the walls and doorways which used to be exposed, but we had a bat in the house tonight. I was up reading a book in the quiet of my bedroom when something flew by and I saw it was a bat. A large one. I screeched and squealed and Pickles, who had been asleep on the couch nearby, was immediately up and alert and barked continually but not in his largest voice (thankfully). I scrounged off the bed and wriggled into the hallway, afraid of being hit in the head or bare skin by the bat in a goofy little scaredy cat way. The bat seemed to have a large wing span and flew close to my head. I didn't like it. While I was in the hallway I tried to think of a save the bat plan but before anything came to mind (open window and remove myself and dog from room?) Pickles fell silent and nothing was flying any longer. The carcass was very large. I am sad he wasn't able to be saved from Pickles' nature and my unsteady inaction. Maybe next time.
Tired after the Hunt.