Day 1813: Bats in the Belfry!

After a long, lovely evening of catching up, everyone finally crashed about midnight.  A short while later, Colin and April came home from visiting with friends and I felt the ease that a mother knows when all her kids are safely home under her roof.  Steve was already asleep and I soon followed.

Then crash, a pounding on the door.  I bolted from bed and ran to the door.  "There's a bat in Evan's room!"  three voices announced.  What?  Bats? In the winter? How on earth did that get inside?

I threw on jeans and a fleece and headed upstairs.  There's Evan wrapped in a blanket.  Colin had quickly taken out the storm windows and opened the windows, hoping the bat would fly out.  Evan had been awakened by flapping over head and slid from bed encased in his blanket.

A strategy session ensued.  The last time we had a bat in the house was close to 25 years ago.  Justin and I tackled that bat wearing raincoats and laundry baskets over our heads.  We swung brooms while the bat circled my bedroom till it finally flew out the window.

We approached this bat the same way and Justin was dispatched to the basement for baskets.  I picked up a trash can, cardboard box lid, and a flat plastic lid.  Steve found my fabric cutting board.  Colin wrapped a shirt around his head, just in case and April stayed calm and filmed the first capture.

Steve and Colin hunted for the critter among the bedding, curtains and Evan's bag and we finally found it hanging on the wall.

Standing on the bed, Colin placed the first basket over the bat and tried to move it toward the open window.  However, since we have rounded logs, there are always spaces for it to escape and soon it was swooping right toward April and Steve. After a few loops, it returned to its spot.  This time, Colin slid the cutting board under the basket to prevent it from escaping.  Good idea, but its little foot got caught and it started a panicked cry.  Soon, it worked its way out of a hole in the basket and began spinning around the room again.

On the next try, we used a different basket with smaller holes and they trapped it inside the basket on the floor.  That didn't last long because it began to escape through the tiniest of holes.  Colin put the trash can over the spot and Steve slid the cardboard lid over the basket till it was trapped inside a small bathroom trash can.  Then, Colin closed one window and Steve tossed the trash can outside and quickly closed that window too.  Success!

So, now it's 2:00 am and we are all wide awake with hearts pounding and adrenaline rushing, except Kaoru, who managed to sleep through most of the event.  We spent the next half hour retelling stories, most notably Brad's capture of a bat on our anniversary years ago that bit him twice.   He released the bat and had to have rabies shots in both hands.  Then, there was that time when Justin and I battled that bat many years ago.  It took two days to get it out of the house.  On the second day at dusk we waited on the sofa for it to reappear.  Watching the ceiling closely, we were horrified when it flew out from between the couch cushions where we were sitting!   April told the story of her father shooting one in her bedroom with a BB gun.

Evan decided to spend the night on the sofa, but got very little sleep. Molly was awake at dawn and cried at the basement door till he got up and released her.  Then, she had to snuggle with him and there was no more sleeping.  We're all a bit dopey tonight and will sleep very well, I'm sure.

All in all, it was an unforgettable night that provided a memorable story we'll retell for many years to come!

A wonderful family dinner tonight!