In a worrisome, troubled world, people took comfort when President Hinckley said, in his fatherly, assuring way, "It isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out."

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Rats, Cats and BATS, Oh My!!!


Ok, so I don't actually have bats, but they sure look like them. What I have are birds in my chimney.
Not to be confused with "bats in the belfry"

Last summer I heard a strange sound in the fireplace which was also driving my cat completely "batty" (pun completely intended) It sounded like .... well it didn't really sound like anything I had ever heard before. Kind of a scratchy, squeeky, flapping noise. So being the brave, independent, modern woman that I am. Yeah right. I opened the fireplace door just a tiny crack, but I couldn't see anything. I opened it a little more and I saw IT. There clinging to the side wall of the wood stove was "A BAT".

Well I thought it was. I let out my best late night horror movie scream and slammed the door shut. My heroic cat jumped to my aid. Actually all I saw of her was a yellow streak as she dashed under the couch.

A few hours later my knight in shinning armor, dh, came home and assured me that there was no way that a flock of bats were partying in our chimney. As I stood on the couch armed with a broom, he carefully opened the fireplace door. Of course there was nothing there. He gave me "the look". Then I saw It clinging to the door. I screamed, he jumped, It made it's hideous noise. Hubby bravely got a plastic bag, picked the creature off the door and carried it outside. My country boy hubby patiently informed me, city girl that I am, that it was only a bird called a chimney swift. They nest in unused chimneys and eat insects. Sure sounds like a BAT to me. Well apparently they liked our chimney because all summer we had a family of them in our chimney. It was hard to explain to guests what the weird sound was coming from our fireplace. Hubby never did get the chimney capped so once again this summer we have "batbirds" in our chimney. I don't have the heart to call an exterminator even for "batbirds" so after the babies have flown the nest I will call someone to cap the chimney and just hand hubby the bill.
BATBIRDS ARE CREEPY !!!

1 comment:

Fru-la-la! said...

What a hoot!!! At least it's not owls..get it...hoot?! Hheheheh