July 12, 2018 -
Felt really, really bad this morning when I opened the shop to get the milking and baby-feeding done. The previous day I had replaced the fly strips that had reached their quota and decided to add additional strips along one area near the water heater. I stared in disbelief at eight tiny bats entangled where there should have been flies! I must have obstructed their flight path. My heart sank as I tried to figure out how to help them without getting bit. Most were incredibly stuck and I wasn't sure I could release them. They had been trying to chew through the sticky stuff but had not succeeded. So I put on my leather gloves and began slowly detaching them. But as I progressed I realized the sticky glue was not going to come off them. All I could do was tuck them into dark places and hope they could somehow lick themselves clean and fly off this evening after a good long rest. These precious little mosquito-eaters are only two inches long and extremely delicate. I hope, against all odds, that they'll be OK. I don't want to check on them when I go out to milk and feed a little later. I feel so responsible and so sorry. Something else to haunt me. (I know, I know - grow up and get over it!)
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