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We've been invaded! (Moderated by Deepika, EleanorSews)
Posted on: 2/23/08 11:14 AM ET
Last night when we got to our weekend house in the TX Hill Country, I opened the front door and there were bats flying everywhere. At least 30-40 of them!!! Trust me, I was not amused!!!! DH and our neighbors got them out while I sat on the front deck. I know they are not going to fly into me but I wasn't about to go in there. I turned all the lights on and left them on all night so (hopefully) they wouldn't come back. Reminded me of that movie "The Birds".
Then I went upstairs to sew. I kept telling DH I hear something. He comes up looks around and says "its your tracing paper from the air vent". Not!! I saw a mouse dive under the washer about 5 minutes later!!
This morning I'm looking at my prize Christmas cactus (first one I haven't killed) and it is half-gone. Several other plants are pretty much gone but there are no dead leaves anywhere. Neighbor thinks it is a squirrel.
Needless to say, they found a hole where all these critters are coming in this morning and are doing a repair job today. We had the roof replaced last summer and they left a hole. I like all these little critters - just NOT in my house. We are on the "flyway" that the bats take to get to the Devil's Sinkhole from Mexico and they have just started to return for the summer. Fortunately, no guano or bat smell anywhere so they couldn't have been here very long. They eat tons and tons of bugs every night so I really do like bats - just not that up close and personal.
We have a roadrunner that comes to the back door and pecks until I go "talk" to it and then it will go away. The crazy lady that used to live here named him "Wally" so we are crazy and call him that, too. He came to visit this morning - he usually has a lizard in his mouth to show off!! He's a cute guy!!!
Devil's Sinkhole
-- Edited on 2/23/08 11:17 AM -- Correct spelling!
-- Edited on 2/23/08 11:20 AM --
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Then I went upstairs to sew. I kept telling DH I hear something. He comes up looks around and says "its your tracing paper from the air vent". Not!! I saw a mouse dive under the washer about 5 minutes later!!
This morning I'm looking at my prize Christmas cactus (first one I haven't killed) and it is half-gone. Several other plants are pretty much gone but there are no dead leaves anywhere. Neighbor thinks it is a squirrel.
Needless to say, they found a hole where all these critters are coming in this morning and are doing a repair job today. We had the roof replaced last summer and they left a hole. I like all these little critters - just NOT in my house. We are on the "flyway" that the bats take to get to the Devil's Sinkhole from Mexico and they have just started to return for the summer. Fortunately, no guano or bat smell anywhere so they couldn't have been here very long. They eat tons and tons of bugs every night so I really do like bats - just not that up close and personal.
We have a roadrunner that comes to the back door and pecks until I go "talk" to it and then it will go away. The crazy lady that used to live here named him "Wally" so we are crazy and call him that, too. He came to visit this morning - he usually has a lizard in his mouth to show off!! He's a cute guy!!!
Devil's Sinkhole
-- Edited on 2/23/08 11:17 AM -- Correct spelling!
-- Edited on 2/23/08 11:20 AM --
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www.thereisjoyadventures.blogspot.com
Posted on: 2/23/08 11:19 AM ET
In reply to Peggy L
Peggy, that is scary! I'm glad to hear there is no guano. I saw a program last year where the bats had taken residence in the attic. The guano caused the homeowner to go partially blind!!!
My boys would love to see your roadrunner
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My boys would love to see your roadrunner

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Leah
Posted on: 2/23/08 11:22 AM ET
In reply to Leora
They have such a distinct smell - pretty gross - that I can't imagine that someone would not know they had them.
Wally is pretty fun to have around!!! He had a "woman" last year but I haven't seen her yet this year.
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Wally is pretty fun to have around!!! He had a "woman" last year but I haven't seen her yet this year.
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www.thereisjoyadventures.blogspot.com
Posted on: 2/23/08 11:24 AM ET
OMG - that's way more excitement than I need. I hope there are no more surprises.
ETA Does this mean your country estate has a new name? I think you should embroider some towels.
-- Edited on 2/23/08 11:29 AM --
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ETA Does this mean your country estate has a new name? I think you should embroider some towels.
-- Edited on 2/23/08 11:29 AM --
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“Never try to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and it annoys the pig.” -Robert Heinlein and Ann's father. Thanks for the reminder, Ann.
Where are we going, and what am I doing in this handbasket?
Matthew 25:40 (New International Version)
The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Where are we going, and what am I doing in this handbasket?
Matthew 25:40 (New International Version)
The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Posted on: 2/23/08 11:30 AM ET
How freaky. Especially since you hear these stories about people getting bit by bats and it not leaving any marks and then they die of rabies (rare I know, but it just freaks me out). The roadrunner on the other hand is just great! I LOVE roadrunners! Me and my kids would just love it if a roadrunner came to call every morning.
Posted on: 2/23/08 11:35 AM ET
Quite a few years ago we had a bat in our house. We think he came in while we had a door open. We didn't know he was there for quite a while, after I'd gone to bed. DH was watching TV and kept thinking he was seeing something out of the corner of his eye. He finally realized it was a bat. It settled down behind the refrigerator. In the morning we put a wire colander over it and took it outside.
We had another in the house one other time; we opened the front and back doors and it found its way out.
Our exterminator was impressed that instead of calling him to kill the poor things, we'd gotten them out of the house ourselves.
We had another in the house one other time; we opened the front and back doors and it found its way out.
Our exterminator was impressed that instead of calling him to kill the poor things, we'd gotten them out of the house ourselves.
Posted on: 2/23/08 12:04 PM ET
Well, Peggy, I must say you are braver than me! I'd have been at the nearest motel in a heartbeat! 
My dad's favorite thing ever was spotting a roadrunner on their trips to the southwest. I've only seen one and that was on a vacation trip thataway as a child. They are awesome! Beep beep!
-- Edited on 2/23/08 12:05 PM --
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My dad's favorite thing ever was spotting a roadrunner on their trips to the southwest. I've only seen one and that was on a vacation trip thataway as a child. They are awesome! Beep beep!
-- Edited on 2/23/08 12:05 PM --
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Bev
Posted on: 2/23/08 3:50 PM ET
Wow! Better'n watching Animal Planet any day! So ironic, when I think of all those people who have built bat houses and then can't get any bats to live in them. You are so right about the smell. We went for the bat flight in Austin one time and the stench by that bridge was an experience all on its own. The bats themselves were incredible. Austin is right to be proud of them.
I hope Wally finds another girlfriend soon. He sounds like a good provider. That name sounds much more appropriate for a pelican than a roadrunner.
I love having critters close by (but not actually in my house). I live in metropolitan Dallas, but we still have raccoons, possums, beavers (yes, beavers!), coyotes and a huge assortment of birds in the area, because there is a creek across the street. Those creeks are like interstate highways for the wildlife.
eta: oh, yeah, we also have the usual pestilential rodents, too. One of my weiner dogs is a mighty hunter and often brings me rodent carcasses. He brought me a possum once, too.
What can you do, but say "Good dog, give it to Mama...."
-- Edited on 2/23/08 3:57 PM --
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I hope Wally finds another girlfriend soon. He sounds like a good provider. That name sounds much more appropriate for a pelican than a roadrunner.

I love having critters close by (but not actually in my house). I live in metropolitan Dallas, but we still have raccoons, possums, beavers (yes, beavers!), coyotes and a huge assortment of birds in the area, because there is a creek across the street. Those creeks are like interstate highways for the wildlife.
eta: oh, yeah, we also have the usual pestilential rodents, too. One of my weiner dogs is a mighty hunter and often brings me rodent carcasses. He brought me a possum once, too.
What can you do, but say "Good dog, give it to Mama...."-- Edited on 2/23/08 3:57 PM --
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sewing blog: https://unzippedsewing.blogspot.com/
Posted on: 2/23/08 4:06 PM ET
In reply to blue mooney
Well, we saw another roadrunner this afternoon so he may have a girlfriend after all. I'll try and get a picture of him - he was here this morning so I don't know if he'll be back today or not. He lives somewhere up above the house.
The holes are plugged until the roofer gets back out here.
Bev - I wasn't that nice! There were some words along the lines of "get them out" and "I'm not coming back out here until you do something" - that was the nice stuff!!!
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The holes are plugged until the roofer gets back out here.
Bev - I wasn't that nice! There were some words along the lines of "get them out" and "I'm not coming back out here until you do something" - that was the nice stuff!!!
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www.thereisjoyadventures.blogspot.com
Posted on: 2/23/08 4:10 PM ET
In reply to Peggy L
"We have a roadrunner that comes to the back door and pecks until I go "talk" to it and then it will go away. The crazy lady that used to live here named him "Wally" so we are crazy and call him that, too. He came to visit this morning - he usually has a lizard in his mouth to show off!! He's a cute guy!!!"
Oh, I love roadrunners, Geococcyx Californianus, the "ground-dwelling cuckoo" (so appropriate to Southern California, btw!). They do have a charmingly goofy way about them. Wikipedia says "...They are monogamous and a pair may mate for life. Pairs may hold a territory all year. During the courtship display, the male bows, alternately lifting and dropping his wings and spreading his tail. He parades in front of the female with his head high and his tail and wings drooped."
These delightful birds used to be common here, but are now scarce because of urban sprawl.
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Oh, I love roadrunners, Geococcyx Californianus, the "ground-dwelling cuckoo" (so appropriate to Southern California, btw!). They do have a charmingly goofy way about them. Wikipedia says "...They are monogamous and a pair may mate for life. Pairs may hold a territory all year. During the courtship display, the male bows, alternately lifting and dropping his wings and spreading his tail. He parades in front of the female with his head high and his tail and wings drooped."
These delightful birds used to be common here, but are now scarce because of urban sprawl.
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Elona
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