Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Odd hobbies


Here in south central Kansas spring is in the air. The proof can be found in last night’s thunderstorm and the tornado sirens that set all of us dashing to turn on the T.V. or radio. I like it better when the daffodils bloom before the tornado season gets underway, but that’s life here on the Great Plains.

In truth, spring has me on the lookout for the return of some old friends. My husband and I call them Matty, Batty and Bob. Most people wouldn’t notice our visitors and if they did, they’d be freaked out. You see, Matty, Batty and Bob are bats. Eastern Red Bats. Lasiurus borealis, to be exact.

We keep a watch out for these wonderful aerial acrobats each evening at dusk from our front porch. As the birds are roosting in the trees, the nighttime princes of the air come out to swoop, twirl, flutter and dart in the skies just above the treetops. Their soft wings make them look like big butterflies, but they are so fast it’s hard to follow their flight.

For the past two years we’ve been treated to the brief evening shows before dark by three bats. Oh, maybe they aren’t the same ones each year, but I like to think so. I’ve read that they can live up to 12 years. The most wonderful thing about these four inch wonders is the fact that they eat half their weight in insects every night. I’ve seen them snatch a moth in flight and even lightening bugs on a summer’s eve. Anything that eats bugs is a friend of mine. I like bats, I don’t mind snakes, but I can’t stand bugs. YUCK.

So my odd hobby is bat watching. Anyone else willing to admit their strange pastimes?
Blessing all.
Pat

4 comments:

Cheryl Wyatt said...

Odd hobbies...habitually organizing. I know...sigh.

I like working with wood and clay. And building miniatures. And building unique themed chess sets out of clay and wood.

Although the only pasttime I really have time for recently is reading. That's my all time fav.

Great post!
Cheryl

LuAnn said...

I'd love to see those bats!
I suppose my odd hobby would be rockhounding. Why would anyone spend an afternoon digging in the dirt to uncover some dumb ol' rock?

Pat Davids said...

Cheryl,
I had a heroine whose hobby was making miniatures dolls and sets for her doll house collection. I think it's cool!
Pat

Pat Davids said...

LuAnn

Bats live in just about every part of the US. Check with you local wildlife people and see what lives in your area.

I used to do home health visits and one of my patients had a house completely lined with lighted glass cases full of rocks and crystals she and her husband had collected over their sixty year marriage. It was awesome! Especially the geoids. Did I spell that right?
Pat