Bats and Shooting Stars

[mikecatadjuster]

Last night I was out in my kayak under an absolutely beautiful sky of stars. I saw several shooting stars with one being exceptionally bright, clear and seemingly just overhead. But I also saw something else.

Bats. On the lake they flew around me and swept overhead above the water in odd flight patterns. They passed within feet of me, often coming between my fishing pole and my face. I hurt my neck recently in a bad fall, and having a bat appear, darting right next to my face was unnerving to say the least. I aggravated my neck everytime it happened because I kept jerking away.

I swung my pole or paddle, whatever was in my hand a few times in reaction. And of course I let out some embarassing screams (thankfully I was alone).

This has happened before to me on Caney Lake in Louisiana and I am told not to worry that the bats will not run into me, but it is just plain spooky. They may be hunting for mosquitos, I'm not sure. But heck, what if a mosquito lands on my face?

Anyway, it was an interesting night. One where the night was filled with shooting stars, flying bats and girlish screams from a man in his kayak

[Landlocked]

But heck, what if a mosquito lands on my face?

[sunspotbaby]

I'd a flipped it for sure!

[SWGB]

You'll be fine, Florida bats just go after bugs. You probably had a swarm of mosquitos around your head from the carbon dioxide.

[NoHall]

Bats and shooting stars...I think that should be the title of your next book!

[NotDeadYet]

What a cool post, thanks for sharing!
Seriously, ignore the bats. They really will not fly into you. I got very used to them in Costa Rica where they are more numerous than here. Their sonar is excellent and they can use it to avoid you at the same time they use it to hunt food. Of course, by waving your head around like that, you are making them work a little harder.

[mikecatadjuster]

I think if I wear some clear saftey glasses I will at least be a bit more at ease. There were two of them at one time flying in unison in a pattern that was, well intertesting. But the shooting stars. Wow, they were magnificient. A few times I rested my head back and just gazed up at them in awe. The colors and flashing colors of many of them was spectacular.

Btw, the previosu night my kayak was near the shore by some cattails or wahtever and something jumped in the boat with me, against my back. It felt small and I was sure it was a frog or a cricket. But I leaned forward, nearly toppling myself, worried it could be some other creepy crawler.

It ended up being a baby bass fingerling. It was teh size of a minnow which surprised me. I'd have thought that it would be a little bigger since being born this spring. I wondered if maybe it was stocked there by some governmental agency or group. But maybe it is just a slow grower.

Anyway, that was another scare.

Now, to the jelly fish that got in my swim trucks a few weeks ago lol True story btw. Let's just say it hurt. But actually, in an odd sort of way.......

[NoHall]

You're just a critter magnet!

[Will B]

There are always tons of little brown bats around the street lights at our house at dusk. When we were kids we used to throw little pebbles in the air, and the bats would catch them thinking they were bugs. Pretty quick little boogers.

[aggieb]

mca

[Miss Kitty]

have mercy (thanks again, 6thGen)