Flying Mammals and Memorial Paint

Is there anything more annoying than being woken in the early morning by kids who we wish were as devoted to sleep as adults are? Off the top of my head, maybe politicians who want to reduce payments to the unemployed, disabled and schools, while ensuring the rich are subsidised. But that's about the only thing I can think of.

Anyhoo, four am this morning and a frightened six year old called me into his bedroom. He heard squeaking and I figured it was a toy, so went back to bed. Ten minutes later and I get an encore. This time he has heard flapping. This time I heard it, and looking around this dark early morning room I could see movement, I figured a large moth and knew I'd have to catch it. I flick on the light... and it's a bat!

Never had a bat before, that I know of. Armed with a light sheet from a cot, I captured it as gently as possible, evicted it out the kitchen window, and went back to bed.

At a more reasonable hour, I got to start my chores, and first on the list is to feed our cat. As I dish out her food, a squeak signals that it's time for a little deja vu. I workout that the sound is coming from a curtain that we have hanging to aid in temperature control. Yep, it's a little bat. The same one? Its mate? Don't know, but there it was. If you want to know about Tasmanian bats, click here.

I placed it in a box. Nice and dark and quiet.

I tried a half dozen phone numbers in order to find someone in the industry that might be interested in studying it, but finally worked out that the person in that department was 'out'. I'm busy and doubt the bat wants to stay in the box til tomorrow, so I'm going to wait til dark and set it free.

Then son #1 and I took part in a community working bee. Our local town hall, (according to our regional newspaper a year ago, one of only four town halls in the state actively operated by the locals), has a memorial gate and fence that needed its once a decade repainting. We had a good turn-out, maybe a dozen folk. Good to get the kids involved in community activities.