In which we discover bat on outside of our deck umbrella
Two nights ago Barry and I bake a pizza on our deck grill. First, I grill the veggies: zucchini, yellow squash, onions, red pepper, garden jalapenos. Oil the store-bought crust bottom before lavishing pizza sauce across the top. Sprinkle with grilled veggies and Mexican cheese.
Carefully arrange on grill and bake for maybe eight to ten minutes.
Out comes the pizza, wa la, doesn’t it look good, let’s eat, Barry.
First, let me open up the deck umbrella and set the table–hey, wait a minute, there’s mysterious “droppings” beneath the umbrella–I’m afraid to put my hand up to crank open the umbrella–um, Barry!–I think there’s a bat living in our umbrella!
Can you see it?
Barry limps to the rescue, good man, his new knee replacement up for the job.
We remove the umbrella and prepare to disengage sleepy-eyed bat when I remember: “Oh, wait a minute–the CAMERA. Must take pics of the little fella.”
First, let’s admire tiny webbed bat feet
We’re so often scared of creatures like bats, mice, spiders and snakes when we first encounter them. They strike us as creepy-crawling, unpredictable creatures.
Yet, on closer look, they often appear sweet and–almost–cute. As my camera approached the sleepy-eyed bat, I began to fall in love with it.
How adorable!
How cute!
“Get up really close to that bat, Kathy, and take its picture!”
Barry urges me to get the camera closer to Mr. Bat’s face. He isn’t moving. He blinks like a small child who is confused after waking. He doesn’t know what to do next.
Isn’t it sweet? Doesn’t it have the sweetest brown eyes?
Aren’t you in love with this bat, too?
Don’t you think he’s adorable? (Yes, yes, perhaps he is a she. We shall never know, as the camera did not get that close.)
Barry now asks for his wood-splitting gloves. He dons them. Picks up Mr. Bat who suddenly wakes fully up, all scared and frightened, and bites Mr. Barry’s glove. Fortunately, the bite does not penetrate the glove.
Mr. Barry lets Mr. Bat free. Off he flies into the woods.
Bat skeleton. (Not our bat.)
It is time to eat. We set the umbrella back on the outdoor table. We cut the pizza into nine slices.
We eat. Mmmmm, good!
We did NOT invite the bat to join us for pizza with grilled veggies (baked on the grill).
The story is not over. After the bat flies away, I want to tell you immediately about “The bat who came to supper” when my deepest inner voice quietly says, “It’s time to take another blogging break. It’s time to quit telling stories for a while.”
“What?” I ask in disbelief. “You’ve got to be kidding! I just finished a month of 200-word blogs and now I can write 1,000 word stories again and you’re telling me it’s time to QUIT TELLING STORIES? What will people do if they don’t hear about events like our bat visitor?”
Of course, the deepest inner voice remains silent. I sigh a long-suffering sigh. Ladies and gentlemen, do not EVER disregard your deepest inner voice. When it tells you to take another blogging break, you listen. Even if your surface impulse is to tell 1,000 more stories.
Yesterday I beg, “Can I PLEASE tell them the bat story?”
Bat Event Today
No reply. (Your deepest inner self will let you do what you want, but it always knows best.)
This morning, “Can I at least PLEASE tell them that I’m taking another blogging break?”
No reply.
Readers, I’ve snuck in to this blog like a bat hiding in an umbrella and I’m telling you quickly before the deepest inner self finds out. Then am outa here until the deepest inner self suggests otherwise.
Until we meet again in a week or month or who knows?
Happy summer and may you find a million mysteries to marvel and a million smiles to share. Loving this life–and loving you.
Lake Superior Spirit 
ah, the freedom to write as many words as you like–I find I am writing shorter blogs now
I feel remarkably free, LouAnn! As free as a bird to write words…and then now am taking a blogging break…life is weird. Sometimes I wish it (or I) was more predictable.
Have fun on your break (if it is that kind of a break) – I need to take a break to catch up on all the things that I have been putting on hold lately that can no longer be on hold
Good luck on your catching up, LouAnn. I hope the same for you–that it’s a good break.
That pizza looks lovely. We have bats that fly around our deck when dusk falls but I have not seen one up close.
Kerry, the pizza was delicious. Wish we had some more leftovers. We’ve had plenty of bats flying around at dusk, too, but haven’t had any come for supper before. 🙂
You are probably glad of that.
Extremely! 🙂
Enjoy the respite. Sometimes it is just needed. xoxo
Thanks, Dawn. I am longing to connect to “all that is” beneath words right now. Glad you understand.
Glad you snuck in to warn us about your break. Bats are great. They eat mosquitos!
Phew…it was a sneaky maneuver to write this, Lisa! I think the “deep inner voice” may be sleeping like that bat. You know we had a mosquito hatch a few days ago. Maybe that bat was just protecting our deck from the pesky biting ones. Great point!
Your bat was adorable! They definitely are our friends but he got caught napping in the wrong place. Kathy, that pizza looked amazing. I’ve never had pizza from the grill. I wish you a deep and peaceful break and will be waiting for your return. You are the only blog I read so you can understand how special your stories and photos are to me. ‘Am still smiling at the pleasure I got from seeing your onions “out and about.” Happy quiet time to you and continued healing to Barry!
Susan, really? The onion blog meant that much to you? I do think I need a break; I am worn out and need to focus deeply spiritually. But it means so much to hear your words. This was actually the first time we had tried to grill a pizza. It worked! A little had to get on and off the grill, but otherwise delicious. Hopefully, you will be able to try it some time. P.S. Barry said his knees don’t feel like being on stilts, but he’s heard others say that. Finally got back to you with a response!
I love your bat! I’ve always been fascinated by them and would jump at the chance to get a picture like you did. Your pizza looks fabulous too, but I must say I think it needs more cheese! 😉 I hope the blogging break is refreshing for you, but that you will pop in to give us a wonderful or funny or thought-provoking story from time to time.
I can just imagine you with your camera close to that bat’s nose, Karma! Ha ha about the cheese…I was hesitant to put THAT MUCH cheese on the pizza. (We’re not used to eating cheese, you know.) I will send a Memo to the deepest inner self about your suggestion. It usually doesn’t respond to my memos, but you never know. **grin**
That pizza looks wonderful! Your bat photos were very impressive, too. Enjoy your pause from blogging, but know that your regular posts are missed, Kathy. Take care.
Cindy, thank you so much. I love that you enjoy reading the regular posts. Then there’s some people who think I post too much. I just need a break–my mind feels like it needs wide-open wordless spaces for a while. It seems like it would be much easier to be dedicated to this spiritual path if one were an artist with paint or pencils. Hugs to you.
The pizza looks wonderful, the bat, not so much. Hope your break from blogging helps. I will miss your stories.
Thank you, Chris. You think the pizza looks better than the bat? **smile** I am glad you enjoy these stories. Your words warm this heart. (even more than the bat warmed my heart.)
That is a cute bat and I’m glad you got pictures of him/her while he/she was still in mellow mode. I have so many bat stories, mostly involving my married bebs and my “rescuing” her (and the kidlets) from bats being too near, and hidden in blankets, etc. Last fall, a bat decided to live on my bedroom window screen, and I let it stay there for quite a while. It would have required a ladder and climbing on the roof to gently coax it away from the outside. I tamped on the screen with the broom handle, tried my blow dryer (set on cool) aimed at the bat, clapped my hands … all to no avail. Finally, I ended up with a spray bottle of water and felt like a monster as I squirted that poor thing away. It looked healthy and fine as it flew off, and it never came back.
That pizza – oh, yum!! Thanks for all of the wonderful photos! Loving your knowing what’s right for you … always. And loving you. I’m so glad you posted today 🙂
Thank you for sharing YOUR bat story, Susan. I laughed out loud reading about the blow dryer attempt. How funny! I love how you always support the Deep Inner Voice (I think we should now call it the DIV) or Deepest Inner Knowing (DIK). Thanks for being my friend and lunch buddy.
Unlike most of your commenters so far … it does not matter how cute their faces might be, they creep me out big time. I don’t want to be anywhere near them. Maybe it was all the scary movies with bats or tales of bats biting people or swooping and getting caught in peoples hair … a combination? Or, more likely, a bad childhood memory of being in our cabin with 30-40 bats inside with us one night when the lights went out. (my dad had worked on the roof and closed up the ridge and they could not get outside so they visited us as we crawled into bed). I will admit, snakes are creepier to me … because they sneak up on me, I can sense a bat is near very quickly 😉
As for taking a break … do what is best for you, your future posts will be better for it. I have found that over the summer it has been extremely hard for me to keep up with commenting and writing. I am amazed every morning when my reader list has another huge batch of new posts for me … the people I follow are amazing and never tire … I feel bad when I can’t go visit/comment on them all.
I’ll bet it was something in your childhood, like yep, that 30-40 bats-inside-the-cabin story, bearyweather. I could tell some bat stories like that. Maybe not THAT scary. But our house was open to nature for a while, and, yes, nature came in…
Come to think of it, nature is always trying to find a stray hole to come in and live with us.
I have trouble keeping up with bog posts, too, especially when people share a lot. But since I am one who loves to share a lot, I don’t feel too bad. Just visit/comment when it’s possible and don’t when it’s not possible. It’s hard when you love to blog and then feel the energy of others who feel overwhelmed. But ultimately we all have to be true to our Deepest Inner Self. (DIS)
Bat’s don’t spook me I’m fascinated by them, I first got hooked some 20+ years ago when they roosted behind the door jamb of our home in Scotland. I’ve also been fortunate to stand in the mouth of a cave in Borneo and watch thousands of swallows come home to roost and see as many bats swoop out into the dusk; truly magical. I’ve never yet managed to photograph any though… They don’t get caught in peoples hair, they simply swoop down above your head because the rising heat given off from your body attracts a column of unseen insects above you, the bats are simply scooping up their next meal in the membrane between their wings and tail.
Mrs Uhdd, I would love to have been there in Borneo watching the swallows come home to roost. We, too, have seen the magical swoop of bats out of caves and old mine sites. Unfortunately, it seems that the bat population has been declining lately due to disease and environmental threats. I hope they reinvigorate because we need them to help with the mosquitoes. I like your explanation concerning their swooping and rising heat. Thank you.
I think the bat knew good food when he (or she) saw it, so that’s why it hung around!
The bat wanted the piece with lots of onions on it. He’d never tried them grilled. LOL! Little joke, Editor…
Aww, he was adorable. Drats, now he’s creepy, he bit knee replacement man! 😉 Have a nice break.
I would have thought he was creepy, but I would have done the same thing if a big strange man with a wrapped knee grabbed hold of me with a yellow glove!! Thanks, Lori.
Your patient seems to be doing very well! Mine is doing equally well. The miracles of modern surgery! I admire your pluck with the camera. Hope your break leaves your batteries fully charged.
John, I was going to email and ask how your patient was doing. Glad to hear she’s doing well. Barry actually went in to work for a few hours today. He’ll be napping come afternoon…
Kathy – I won’t tell a soul that you snuck back in. Your secret’s safe with me 🙂
Thank goodness, Laurie! I was a little worried that someone might tell. 🙂
Stoooopid inner voice. lol. Come back when you’ve evicted it.
This made me laugh. And also, I agree 🙂
Sybil, I’ve evicted that stooooopid inner voice TOO many times in my life. It’s taken this one a long time to learn that evicting the inner voice simply doesn’t work. However, I love it that you and Heather are rooting for the underdog. (Underdog? ha ha)
How cool! Bats are such odd cute/not cute things – kinda like possums. Glad Barry thought to grab gloves. I should, but I never think of things like the possibility of bites when I move a critter – only that I am somehow doing it a favor and it should recognize that and appreciate me.
Hope you enjoy your blogging time off. I’ll sure miss you. I was looking forward to your long blogs again, but I’ll survive 😉
Thank GOODNESS he thought to grab those gloves. Gosh, he probably would have got an infection that traveled to the knee…no, no, we can not think of these things. Once I picked up an injured wild dog that let out a scream (did you ever read that blog?) Very stooopid move. I love it that you were looking forward to the chopless words once again. They are all nodding in approval at you. They like you. (They are all probably mad at me for listening to the DIV. Deepest Inner Voice.)
Cute bat!
My Universe aligned from the tilted position when I was able to type in the name of a blog that I follow; look at the creative titles; know I don’t have time to read all of them; then, taking a deep breath pull down the “check all” button and push that mouse ever so slowly to the trash icon and press….My inbox is clean; I’ll never know what marvelous information I may have missed; my life goes on and i read just a few when I can and comment if I have a comment. I’m happy enough. I cannot answer for those who love to write every day. I thought i did; I didn’t.
Oh hurray! I am so glad that you did this for yourself, Linda. It sounds like you were able to listen to what your deepest inner voice was telling you. You will be much happier. I know I am the happiest when I listen to the nudgings to write a lot or not to write a lot, to read a lot or not to read a lot. The inner voice always knows.
Your pizza has me drooling, although Kat has been fixing delicious veggie filled dinners for us. We once shared your bat experience – when we still had the umbrella on the deck (pre-gazebo days), I opened it one morning, noticed something on top of it from below, so I tapped that dark spot. Ahha! Bat! Ahha! I had front door open, bat flew in. Uhoh. Found bat on living room ceiling with Twiggy on the bookcase, trying very hard to reach bat. End of story – bat was captured in net with one of those frying pan screen lids over it and released back to the wild.
As to inner voices – I dunno. I think sometimes they just like to try to control. But if you trust yours, hey, just enjoy your break. But do come back to visit, please.
Hello, Ms. Carol! Oh wow, that was quite the bat story. (Especially the part about Twiggy almost eating the escapee.) Glad you had a frying pan with a lid.
I know what you mean about inner voices that try to control. I have those, too, but those seem closer to the surface. I stand by that there is an inner compass, something that we can trust within the many aspects of personality. Since it doesn’t speak in words (unless I put it in words, lol) -it usually speaks in feelings–it’s much more reliable than some of the other aspects of self.
Just been thinking some more, Carol. From what I’ve observed, it feels like our habits and routines are the true “controllers”. They keep us stuck in patterns which may, or may not, be to our liking. One of my biggest spiritual challenges has been breaking out of habits/routines/patterns which limit our freedom, which limit who we truly are. The deepest inner voice whispers a way to freedom. Thanks for allowing me to articulate this.
I think what is important here is that you are listening to the whisper that shows freedom in that direction – for me, the biggest thing with my blog is that I can do it when I choose, and if I don’t choose, I have no one cracking a whip. You are right also in that habits and routines being the true controllers – yet if I don’t set some kind of routine for myself, things don’t get done.
Good for you. Thanks for the bat story. Looks like Barry is getting along nicely. Have a great break. See you around the bend.
Christine, will try to get to your blog asap! I am glad you enjoyed meeting Mr. or Ms. Bat, and I am glad you understand the value of blogging breaks. Enjoy the rest of your summer!
“Like a bat hiding in an umbrella” I’m sure this phrase will become as common as “cat got your tongue” or “a bird in the hand.” I have to thank your inner voice for letting you post the bat story. ❤
Thank goodness that I was able to “sneak one in” Stacy Lyn! I am sure that phrase will soon become infamous, lol…
I have to admit, looking at your wee bat through your eyes makes me see him/her as a sweet creature. Almost cuddly…but then…I realize it is after all JUST a picture and if I was looking at a wee bat in real life then I would not think of him/her as sweet or cuddly! Nope! lol If he/she stayed outside and kept eating mosquitoes then that’s fine…just don’t come in my house. And if I found the bat on my table umbrella then I’d probably just let it stay there! Too much of a scaredy cat to try to move it (don’t have a nice pair of wood-splitting gloves) Saw a picture on facebook the other day of a man standing next to a giant bat (dang thing was nearly as tall as the man and certainly looked to be wider! hanging upside down of course) but many of the comments were about the bat’s private parts which were visible but all I could think about was how frightening it would be to see the thing flying around…oh man…like a small plane!! Whew…no thanks! I’d much rather see the wee bats swooping here and there as they feast on bugs. (they joined Rick and I when we went swimming at night…swooping ever so closely to the water, never once hitting us though…thank goodness!)
Your pizza looks so good! I’ve never grilled a pizza but have heard it is really good. If the grill was in working order, I would try it with Alex before he goes back to school. We would probably put more cheese on it though 🙂 And since Alex does not like the veggies like I do, there would have to be some meat on the pizza! lol
Gosh Kathy, I will miss reading your stories but I understand your need for a break. Rest and recharge honey…enjoy the last days of summer, squeeze every little bit from them before the cold sets in again. I’ll be thinking of you and missing you dear friend ♥ ps…glad to see knee replacement man looking so good! (makes me think of one the songs on Alex’s cd that Ben made for him….just a collection of random catchy songs…”Particle Man” http://youtu.be/sNT8SMlqLJA hehe…something catchy for knee replacement man 🙂
That song is SURE catchy, Brenda! I am still listening to it.
What was fun about looking at that bat is that I would have experienced your first perception ordinarily. But it was possible to suspend judgment and see that it was simply a wee creature with soft brown eyes, and that was so cool. It is so wonderful when we can take our preconceived notions and throw them out the window and realize the love that we ALL are–snakes, enemies, bats, whatever.
I do need a re-charge. I do need time alone with Spirit. Thank you for understanding, dear Brenda!
I’m glad you are enjoying the song 🙂 I listen to it every now and then along with the other songs on that cd, it makes my heart happy 🙂 And you are so right about letting go of our preconceived notions…I’m better at it now than I ever used to be but still need more improvement. Life really is beautiful and when we can truly open our eyes and our hearts then we can finally see that beauty. ♥
Sweetie, I think we all think we can need more improvement. Perhaps some day we will simply BE and not think we need something more. Love…
Hi Kathy,
LOVED the bat story almost as much as the great pizza images – oh yum – bummer, I am now soooo hungry 😦
We had bats living in our bedroom window shutters last year. I know they need to make a home somewhere but do they hafta party all night long? Some mating thing I’m thinkin’, or else a bunch of teenagers! Anyway, had our handyman take them down and we put up a bat house in the back yard for them. They have relocated and do a great job eating the mosquitos here so they are my friends. They ARE kinda cute, in a creepy kind of way. Gotta love the Northwoods! We have it all. Yesterday there were two baby minks and a mama who greeted me when I came back from kayaking. I think I startled them cuz they took off with their chittery little noises.
Sending you an email – my schedule changed.
Hugs
Suzen
SuZen, I wish I had some leftover pizza to share with you! Smiling, thinking about your shutter-bats as a bunch of teenagers. I am so glad of any animals who keep our mosquitoes in check! Would have loved to glimpse those baby minks. Come to think of it, would love to kayak with you. Will email back!
Pizza, or bat-saving maneuver? Bat-saving maneuver, or pizza? It’s hard to decide what I like more about this post, Kathy. I hope your break is everything The Voice promises.
Sid, The Voice had better be right! If it’s not…back to bats and pizza sooner than you can say “Similarities”…grin…just a take-off from your blog…
Enjoy your break, Kathy. The bat is a cute little guy! I know how it feels to need a break!
Hugs,
Kathy
Kath, may you, too, enjoy as many blogging breaks as the Inner Voice requires… I am looking forward to being in a quiet space, thank you, my friend.
It’s ok. My deeper inner self suggested I let everything go, leave my life behind and go. It was two years ago, so I did. Today it is speaking to me again, clean and prepare to go…again. Thanks for sneaking in the bat story. Yes that bat is adorable. He/She? looks like a baby bat?
Found you through Kira’s blog. Peace & Pizza. 😉
Sindy
I am so glad that you listened to your deeper inner self, bluebutterfliesandme. Did it take you some time to truly get up the energy to listen and then to leave? Or was the decision made rather quickly.
I have no idea if it’s a baby bat. (I’m not sure if the differences would be simply in size or not.) Peace & bats & deep inner selves & pizza to you!
Haha your funny. Regarding the listening, I executed the decision within 2 months I packed and moved.
It looks like a baby bat.
Gawd, that pizza looks yumm!!
As for the bat, I’m afraid I must draw your attention to something I wrote on the subject some two years ago…. http://munzee72.wordpress.com/2010/03/31/picking-up-the-pace/
Great pics as usual Kathy! 🙂
Munira, I truly enjoyed reading your blog. Truly. You tell absolutely wonderful stories, bats or no bats. **grin** Glad you enjoyed the pics.
Whenever I see a bat flying in the sky, I tell myself its a bird. 😉
Ha ha, never thought of that approach, C.B. I might now think of them as flying mice.
I’m not sure I liked your bat, they give me the creeps. But the pizza looks yummy. 😀
Enjoy your break!
Thank goodness you liked the pizza, shieram! And thank goodness that bat didn’t eat it all. 🙂
I’m glad you overruled your inner self and told us the story…. and showed us pictures, too 🙂
The little bat IS cute!! And that pizza looks sooo delicious! We’ve never tried grilling a pizza, but I really want to. It’s just too hot outside to turn the oven on and heat up the house even more. And if I make a delicious veggie pizza like yours, I won’t even have to share with the kids! 😉
Enjoy your blogging break….looking forward to your return!
Awww, Ms. Click, I am so glad you agree Mr. Bat is cute. Just think how close your macro lens would have gotten to it. I am sooo sorry it is so hot. Please hop in your car and come back to Michigan. P.S. Guess what, Michaela? I might meet TWO MORE new blogging friends this summer during this break. That might be painful not to write about that. Will have to consult the inner self, or maybe just take pics and keep them filed til an appropriate moment.
I would LOVE to come back to Michigan! We’ve been home for less than a week and I already miss it.
How exciting that you might meet two more blogging friends! I hope it all works out 🙂 I’m sure you will write about it at some point….who knows, your inner self might agree with you that you must write about it right away. Anything is possible 😉
Dear friends, anyone who is still cruising around reading these comments should check out this link if they want a real bat laugh: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2266900/Teenager-finds-baby-bat-in-her-bra.html
It’s the story about a teenager who found a baby bat in her BRA. True story. I kid you not.
I do not like your inner voice. I want to read you, it’s my choice. Enjoy your time away, but make it back before too many days. By the way, loved the bat story and my daughter is ready to try making a similar pizza tomorrow. Also very thankful that the gloves were thick, no one wants to go through the rabi shot business, which is what happens to those bit by a bat.
Thank you, sweet Lucinda. It just is important spiritually now for me to be off and deepening my practice. Thank goodness Barry was wise enough to insist upon the gloves. I wouldn’t wish rabies on anyone.
Despite your inner voice whispering that you should refrain from telling your bat story, I’m glad you did. My Brownies and I made bat houses for a local wooded area a number of years ago. If you made one, he/she would have a better place to sleep than inside your umbrella!
I hope you inner voice will let you respond to my TAG so you can pass on the game. Check out my blog for details. 🙂
Oh gosh, mywithershins, you mean I can’t play tag? Sigh…too bad we can’t always play fun games. I will check out your blog. How cool that you and your Brownies made bat houses. We have one behind our house, too, but no bats ever moved in. Instead, they moved in the siding of the house. And every other nook & cranny they could find.
Hmmm, I wonder whether the decor of your bat house wasn’t quite right! lol You are more than welcome to play tag whenever your muse lets you! 🙂
Hi Kathy, I was glad to see Barry (that White Knight) on his feet and moving. I liked your batty adventure too. My Blog break is going very, very well. Hope yours does too. Keep in touch! PS Great looking pizza.
I am enjoying my blog break thus far, Barb. You are one of my blog-break gurus! (And yes, the pizza was wonderful. Never tried pizza on the grill before.)
Surprised to see you but also happy and glad that Barry is doing so well. Enjoyed your bat and your pizza.
Glad to see you, too, Tammy. Barry is doing well, but still having to take it very easy. Enjoyed sharing the bat and pizza with you.
Laughing that you couldn’t keep away from here. Laughing that the blogger in you remembered to tell the bat to “wait don’t move while I get the camera!” Laughing that you thought the bat was cute. Cute? Me thinks it’s hairy and creepy looking with those bat wings.
Glad your Barry had thick wood chopping gloves to protect his hands.
If I bring my plate over could I have a slice of pizza? Please?
Rosie, at some times in the past four years I could have said, “My name is Kathy and I have a blogging problem.” LOL! It’s not half as bad as it was a couple years ago. You don’t think the bat is cute? You don’t? Oh, c’mon, stare softly at him for another two minutes and then I will bring you a slice of pizza. What would you like to drink?
Gin and tonic please. I rediscovered it when I was in Spain. It’s a lovely refreshing summer drink for those of us allergic to beer.
Coming right up, Rosie! (Right after I go to the store to buy the gin and tonic for you.) We’ll go sit out on the deck.
How lucky you were to get such a close look at an amazing creature! He/she is a mammal after all, an expert mosquito hunter, and just as attractive as many of the dogs people love. I love watching them flying and grabbing mosquitoes on summer nights. Your grilled pizza looks scrumptious! Your knee patient looks to be recuperating well…
I thought it a wonderful experience, Barbara, and was very glad to have remembered the camera and have lessened (once again) a fear toward an amazing creature in our Universe. I also adore mice and think they are cute, but I trap them, darn it. The knee patient is recuperating well, but still having to take it very easy and sleeping a lot. You would have loved the pizza, except we did put a little cheese on it. I have never liked vegan cheese very well, although we used it sparingly for about four years.
Kathy, you are absolutely correct when you say, “We’re so often scared of creatures like bats, mice, spiders and snakes when we first encounter them. They strike us as creepy-crawling, unpredictable creatures. Yet, on closer look, they often appear sweet and–almost–cute. As my camera approached the sleepy-eyed bat, I began to fall in love with it.” It is so true.
What a great looking pizza you have there. Makes my mouth water. I think it’s lunch-time.
Wishing you a happy blogging break and great rest of the summer. 🙂
Dear Marianne, I know you understand and resonate with how we can be frightened with our ideas of reality–but reality itself is much kinder. Already fully enjoying being more present with less words. Thanks for the summer blessings–the same to you!
I love your bat. He’s beautiful. Or she. I was so happy to see on the close-up that your bat does not have a white nose. Our poor bats here in Ohio are beginning to succumb to white nose disease (a fungal growth that causes the white nose and kills the bats). Every time I see one fly over the pond, I am grateful for its presence and that it is still healthy enough to be flying over the pond, catching insects. I even do a little bow and Namaste towards the bat.
Your pizza is beautiful too. 🙂
I’m taking a blog break as well. Or a half-break. I won’t be posting, but will be reading, commenting, and answering the comments on my blog. And there’s a bit of a cheat built in as I had already scheduled a few posts before I decided to take a break.
May your blog break bring you joy and peace.
Robin, I have heard about white nose disease. And we seemed to witness the disappearance of many bats over the past few years. I am tentatively hoping they are making a comeback. Seems like we have seen more this summer.
I’m still going to be reading, commenting and answering comments on the blog, too.
It seems very important to focus energy inwards rather than outwards these days. Perhaps you’re feeling that, too. And I wish you the same for your blogging break–hours and days and precious minutes of peace and joy.
He IS adorable.
I understand that voice that speaks for breaks. It’s good to listen to it. 🙂 Of course you will be missed.
Lunar, I am glad you understand the voice that speaks for breaks. This voice keeps urging me to focus more attention inward right now, but the part that likes outward movement needs to be convinced. Guess all parts are cooperating now! **grin** Will try to pause by your blog at times. Thank you.
What a dear little creature. One spent the day sleeping on the brick wall of the preschool a couple of weeks ago. It looked like just a tiny bundle of brown night magic.
Amy-Lynn, I like how you describe your bat “a tiny bundle of brown night magic.” And to think that we could see night magic during the day! That is double magic, indeed.
Well that bat is absolutely adorable- never though i would say that about a bat. Have a good blogging break!
Good morning, cestlavie! I am utterly delighted to hear that you, too, discovered the “adorability” of a bat. Isn’t it cool when our world is rocked beyond our habitual reactions? Thank you for the blogging break good wishes. It’s been a week now and it’s been lovely. Hugs.
Mixed feelings about the bat… The pizza, however, looks great! Grilled pizza–how inspired!
Inger, it was the first time we’ve tried grilled pizza–and it was good! A little hard to get on and off the grill, but yummy. You must try it in a bat-free place if you’re not fond of the little ones.
Absolutely love the post…just don’t know who I should be telling it to. Self or deepest inner self.
Karen, I am sure the self and deepest inner self will listen simultaneously to the story. They might have different opinions though! lol!
You’re right, Kathy– the inner voice cannot, should not, will not be ignored! I hope you are enjoying your break and are finding peace in your blogging silence. 🙂 (Though I can’t help but notice a few other posts of yours lounging in my inbox. I’ll have to get to them eventually and see what the scoop is! Hope you are well, my friend!)
Dana, oh my dear, I am done with my blogging break! I started blogging again after 2 or more weeks “off”. It was a lovely break, but equally as lovely to begin blogging more regularly again. (That’s why you see a few more posts lounging in your in-box.) I do hope you are well, too, my wharf friend!
I packed up laughing when I saw that final picture – “Bat Event Today”! Where on earth did you find that?! Brilliant!
I totally love the fact that you reached for your camera before rescuing the bat – that would be totally me too. And what a good idea that Barry put on some protective gloves before picking it up – I didn’t think that the adorable sleepy-eyed bat would BITE him! Phew!
By the way, that pizza has made me completely ravenous, even though I’ve just finished a rather late breakfast. But when I saw that picture, my stomach started growling. You make goooood pizzas, Kathy.
Reggie, seriously, Barry and I went to a “Bat Event” a couple years ago up at the mines in Houghton. Found that photo & decided it was just perfect to add! I awoke smiling because you came back and read so many of these old posts, Reg. Not sure I would make the time to read so many back-posts. (Am always telling you lovies that you don’t HAVE to read.) Love you.
Hello again Kathy – I had a huge backlog of unread blogposts and emails, as I’ve been snowed under with urgent deadlines for the last month. It was wonderful to do some catching up, I missed so much! 🙂