"Life is lived forward, but understood backward. It is not until we are down the road and we stand on the mountain looking back through the valley that we can appreciate the terrain God has allowed us to scale.” Jill Savage

Tuesday, July 05, 2011

Show and Tail - Bats and Dogs

Please join Angela at West Virginia's Treasures for Show and Tail Tuesday - she invites us to post on our pets, other animals, a trip to the zoo, or other animal stories.

Last Saturday night we went to a concert and did not get home until about 1:30am. Now we had one of the daughter's friends come over to babysit and check on Disco the dog.

Grandson fell asleep in the car.

We get home and he gets up and runs in first. All of a sudden before the rest of get in - he comes out screaming there's a bat in the house - there's a bat in the house.

I believed him because he was really scared. The daughter and hubby though he was kidding.

We come in and darn if there is not a bat on the floor of my family room. Do you know they click and hiss? It had flown from my daughter's chair to the floor.

We figure when the dog sitter left the bat must have flown in and she didn't see it. Poor Disco probably didn't get any rest at all with that bat flying around in the house.

So how do you catch a bat?

Hub put a bucket over it and asked me to get some poster board. This is the way we catch other critters that come into our home!


Now after you scoot the paper under the bucket.



Then you pick up the whole thing - take it outside - let it go. This way nothing gets hurt!


Now I got in a little trouble - my husband said - as I'm taking pictures and asking him to lift the lid so that I can take a picture of the bat for my blog. Do you know what he said, "I've got to be married to somebody who blogs and takes pictures of everything!" Can you believe that?

Anyway - he threw every thing out the back door - no picture of the bat. None of our bat - however I looked up bats and found a couple of pictures of bats that looked like ours.




Now I felt this was a real experience - one I've not had in 58 years - on the other hand - it is kind of yucky - right?

Some people complain because God put thorns on roses, while others praise Him for putting roses among thorns.

- unknown

x_05012ff

(Welcome Patty in Oz - my newest follower. I might be losing my mind - but I can't find your blog or an email address any where. Thank you for following me though and please send it to me. Thank you.)

(PS Note to self - no more painted cats on posts - lol)

And last but not least it was Disco's 3rd birthday. He was adopted a year ago today and they think he was two. So Happy Birthday Disco!

No GS, Disco can't sit on the table!

Disco no table!

Happy birthday - we really should have had three candles.
Just let me eat.


Really I get to eat all of this? Are you guys sick or what?
Don't you take my plate - I'm not done yet.



Believe it or not I'm done!

36 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a lovely and interesting post. I have never experienced bat's - either than having them flying over my head outside. Have never had one in the house though.

Nice tip how to catch them :-)

Happy Birthday Disco - I bet he enjoyed that little cake! He's cute.

Enjoy your day!

Cheri said...

A Bat! I wouldn't have slept at all...poor Disco but I guess the cake made up for his tramatic experience. By the way...is the cake chocolate?

Catherine said...

Oh my stars ~ I hope you were using a zoom lens and not actually that close to the bat! haha! Your hubby is very brave! :)
xo Catherine

Linda @ A La Carte said...

Sandie I swear you get the most 'critters' in your house. A bat would have scared me for sure. Oh yes we bloggers take photos of everything! Happy Birthday to Disco! Such a sweet doggie! Hugs, Linda

MadSnapper said...

well this post gets "most interesting today" award. i loved the story of how to catch one. the ones you found look really cute to me, which doesn't mean i would want one in my house. if your husband thinks you takes lots of photos, he would not be able to stand living with the MadSnapper at all.
love the birthday story and cake, happy birthday Disco... i must say ours are spoiled but have never had a birthday cake. but then we don't even have bd cakes for ourselves.

Melanie said...

Happy Birthday to Disco! He is such a cutie. :)
So glad you could get the bat out! We had one get in the house years ago...not fun!!

Changes in the wind said...

I would go batty:) if there were a bat in my house.....can't imagine.

Pat MacKenzie said...

When I was a kid at a friend's summer cottage a bat got into our bedroom one night. Oh the screaming and yelling and hiding under blankets until my friend's mother drove the creature out with a broom. For something so small they sure can inspire a lot of fear.

Happy birthday to Disco. He must love his adopted family.

Remington said...

Bats -- they are kinda cute in a creepy way....

Unknown said...

happy birthday disco! i'm impressed that you stayed up til 1:30 am. i'm not sure i could do that for any concert! so glad the bat got set free without getting hurt! have a great week!

Doris Sturm said...

Glad you had a good time. Happy belated Birthday to Disco and how nice for him to get his very own doggy save cake from a dog bakery. We don't have one of those around. He does look like he's not sure that he's supposed to be eating this ;-)

I hope Disco has his Rabies shot. In California (where I lived) we had a lot of bats too and the Vet said most of the rabies dogs get there (even though they are house dogs) are from bats flying around and getting them on the balcony or back yard.

I like bats because they are important pollinators and poor things are more afraid of us than we of them (like most animals) and I think they are so ugly that they're cute ;-)

Have a great day!

Susan said...

Oh Sandie...What an experience. I'm glad your hub got the bat out. In a way, can't blame him for not wanting to lift up that bucket. YUK.

The photos you found were perfect. Those bats are ugly little things, eh? I'll think of them next time someone asks me if I have bats in my belfry. ha ha ha

Congrats to Disco. I can't believe it's been a year. I remember when you got him...it was experimental, right? To see how you did with your allergies? So glad he's a real part of the family now.

Loved his doggie sized birthday cake. Soo cute Susan

Nikki (Sarah) said...

omg...you're totally brave. Bats and me....major yuck. I'd have been so freaked I'd be out of that house really fast. Happy B day Disco...glad you got that cake all for yourself....

Kim@stuffcould.... said...

This is a unique story of catching bats. If I ever get one in my house, I will remember yalls trick.
I like what your husband said, married to a wife who blogs...cute

Liz Mays said...

If I were him, I wouldn't have lifted it up for a photo shoot either! What a crazy thing for a bat to get inside!

Happy Birthday, Disco!

Michaele said...

Bats are so creepy aren't they? Our house would have been full of screaming females. Good plan of capture.

Lisa @ Two Bears Farm said...

That is some excitement! I've always kind of liked bats. I actually got my Dad a bat house for father's day this year. Up to 20 bats can sleep in it. They help keep the bug population down, which is a good thing :-)

Belle said...

That is a good way to get rid of critters. My daughter slammed her bedroom window closed and smashed a bat with it. She didn't know it was there. It died a valiant death.

Retired Knitter said...

Wow, this post triggered a memory from my childhood.

One night, I must have been about 10, I heard my mom in the bedroom making a bunch of noise. Furniture was being moved around roughly, it sounded like she was hitting the walls and she was making terrible sounds.

Being 10, I didn't open my door! :-) Being 64 I probably would have not openned my door either.

The next morning she said a bat had gotten into my parents bedroom (dad was still at work), and she figures it must have come in through a crack in the open window - the front door of the apartment openned into a enclosed hall way, so it must have been the window.

She won, by the way. The bat was killed!

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Happy Birthday to Disco!!!!!! Looks like he devoured that cupcake....

I have lots of followers who never comment, and whom I never know --so I don't worry much about that big list... Comments are what I WANT.

We have had a bat in our house TWICE since we lived here. I am so careful to immediately close the screen when I go out now ---but still have that fear that another may fly in.

Both times, we turned off all of the lights, opened the screen door, turned on the outside light ---and they have flown out all by themselves...(Thank God for that!)

There must be lots of bats around here since they 'rest' under our front porch (up high) at times during the night. I have some pictures somewhere.

Bats are good to have around since they eat the skeeters....
Hugs,
Betsy

Sush said...

OK, so I am finally getting around to visiting your blog! I've seen references to yours on mutual favs and sure do see why people are raving!
Now for bats, eww! We had some behind shutters on our windows and we could hear them twittering and thumping and scraping in the evening as they came in and out from behind the shutters. Finally, my brave husband and unsuspecting third son flushed them all out with a hose and water. Then my husband put blocking behind shutters to keep them out. Whew! Brave husband scooting it out the door for YOU!
Loves~

Ann said...

My husband has actually brought things to me to take pictures of so he may have let me get a shot of the bat. I think I would prefer to not have the opportunity though :)

Happy Birthday to disco. Duke thinks his cake looks really yummy

Sweet Tea said...

Guuurl, I think my blood has thickened to red gravy consistency hearing (and seeing) about those bats. That would scare the bejeebers out of me. eeewwww. LOL

Happy Birthday Disco!!

Ginny Hartzler said...

Wow, what an experience! Much as I've done for my blog, I don't think I would have been brave enough to ask hubby to uncover the bat, what if he'd have flown at you when you were snapping?? I was attacked by a bat when I was little, that's why I'm so batty! Hey, did you know chocolate is poison for dogs? It has a chemical in it, it has been known to kill some smaller dogs. But maybe that is just chocolate candy, and not cake? If the cake has only flavoring and not real chocolate in it...guess you can tell I've been watching way too many vet shows!!

Nancy said...

You definitely get the blog award for most interesting post......that is amazing that the bat got in your house and that you were able to get him out....brave hubby you have...

At least Disco got a cake and happy birthday to him....

DaCraftyLady said...

Loved the bat...what an idea, I chuckled about your hubby saying you photo it all, mine says the same thing when I go anywhere and out comes the camera to photo for my online friends...lol...HB to Disco too....Debb

Tanna said...

Oh, my goodness! The bat situation would have had me running for cover! LOL! I love your husband's comments about the picture-taking and the blogging. LOL! Happy Birthday, Disco! blessings ~ tanna

Mevely317 said...

I'm laughing out loud at your hubby's comment re. capturing everything on film ... that's just part of the reason we LOVE ya! (Have you ever considered free-lance work as a photo journalist?)!

Happy Birthday sweet Disco ... and many more!

ain't for city gals said...

Unfortunately we have bats right outside our porch...they come every year. However, this year we have less and it makes me sad ...though I didn't want them in the first place!..lol..does that makes sense?? Seems as if there is a disease (just like with bees) that is killing them. Disco says I'm enjoying this cake...no matter what!

Velvet Over Steel said...

Oh my goosh, we had bats in the house I just sold. They came in the downstairs fireplace. Finally got that blocked 2 years ago. They were 'big' bats too and my son said he could still hear them in the basement wall on hot days. I did tell the buyer and he said he had a plan. Hummm... maybe I don't want to know.

Glad you got yours caught and safely too!! :-) Have a Great week, Sandie!!
Hugs,
Coreen XOXO

Velvet Over Steel said...

By the way.. both dogs at the time ran and hid upstairs, while the 8 lb cat helped catch each and every bat that got in. LOL Too funny!!

Angela said...

Happy Birthday Disco! That treat looked really good! Too bad he didn't leave us a bite! lol

We used to get bats in the house that would come in through the fireplace when I was a kid. It's not fun at all. Ours would fly around and not stop. We would end up packing it up and going to Granny's to spend the night! lol

2 years ago we went to a vacation home that had one that was sitting on the floor when we got there. My husband picked it up with a big pair of gloves that was at the fireplace and let it go outside. Thank God that one didn't fly around and was easy to catch! Granny's house was a good 5 hour drive from there! LOL!

Tuesdays' Show & Tail!
Angela

betty said...

happy birthday to Disco! What kind of cake did he get? I'm sure he enjoyed it! What an adventure with the bat!! I'm glad you guys could have caught it (but I would have been the same way, how can I get a picture of it for the blog :)

hope you guys enjoyed the concert!

betty

Savannah Granny said...

I am still holding my sides laughing. Not that you got a bat in the house and that grandson got scared, poor sweetie. I hear your hubby's comments around my house all the time. I can just hear him now. Love this post. Hope you had a great 4th. Hugs, Ginger

Betty said...

Not only wouldn't I take a picture of the bat I'd be out of the house in a flash.

Hope Disco had a wonderful day!

Unknown said...

Oh no, I hope your dog wasn’t traumatized by your unexpected houseguest! It’s a good thing that bat stayed in one place long enough for you guys to catch it with a bucket. I’m glad that your first recourse was to catch it and let it out instead of killing it. Let’s hope you don’t get more bats or else you might need professional help next time!

~ Selena Slough