Batman? Batwoman!

After my day of inactivity and intermittent napping, it was no surprise that falling asleep at a "normal" hour was impossible. I laid in bed watching "Law and Order" reruns... and was just about asleep at quarter to one.

Suddenly, I heard odd high-pitched, almost scratching like noises, and my big-boned beastie cat jumped up from the bed. Not again!! I didn't have to look. The light of the t.v. helped cast the shadow of bat wings on my bedroom wall.

Luckily, it flew out of my room fairly quickly. Maybe it just wanted to let me know it had come to visit. Unfortunately, I have no door on my bedroom as I did not put it back up when I took it down to paint, so simply closing the door and going to sleep was not an option. So, I called my brother... again.

Still up, he came over within minutes, as if he was taking this bat removal thing as serious as an emergency responder. Because I just went through this some three days ago, and this bat appeared to be significantly smaller, I was less bothered by it. But, sleeping while a cat's hunting instincts have been triggered by a mammal circling overhead isn't plausible.

Initially, we found the bat dangling from a plant hanging in the living room. An easy find since the cat was perched on the coffee table staring at it. My brother, with the now official bat hunting bed sheet, attempted a quick and easy capture. Thinking he had everything "under control" I opened the door to go upstairs and make sure there weren't any open windows.

And here comes the bat.

Ducking from the swoop, I pulled my almost healed neck muscles. Damn't! Damn bats! Where the blazes are these things coming from? And why? One of my email buddies rambled on about the devil, spiders, bats, and portals... okay, pal. I know the vampire thing is pretty trendy right now with the movie "Twilight" and some coming soon t.v. show "Vampire Diaries," but I care not to participate in any blood-sucking fantasies. I just want some peace of mind and a good night's sleep!

After my brother successfully removed the bat, we explored my house for any signs of entry. Nothing has changed here. And I've lived here, bat free, for two years. We couldn't find any obvious places they would be coming in from.

"Maybe they like the smell of fresh paint," my brother theorized.

Looks like I'll be arriving at work with dark circles this morning...