We have lived with bats for 20 years. Siding bats we call them as they find shelter in the uneven gaps in the wood siding that covers our house. These little brown bats are seasonal visitors who provide a service to us by eating flying insects (over 1000 insects in one hour). They are agile flyers and you can see them swooping by with Dracula like magic in the night. We use screens on our windows and don’t live quite as porous a life as Gary Snyder “At night the bats dash around the rooms, in and out of the open skylights, swoop down past your cheek and go out an open sliding door.”
We occasionally get a comment that bats carry disease but that has never concerned us as the bats are living in their natural habitat and are not stressed. The little brown bat can live up to 40 years, they lived here before we did, you could call our house their summer house. The little brown bat is small, 7-14 grams, bats in other countries are quite large and are a source of wild food. They are caught, caged and sold in wet markets. Bats are very social animals and have developed immunity to various viruses that they have picked up in their travels and spread among their large colonies. When the bats are packed in cages and piled up with other caged wild animals there is an opportunity for viruses to spread to other animals and then on to humans. This is what is thought to have happened with COVID-19. The intermediary animal may have been the pangolin.
Pam Jackson 
Hi Pam, I enjoyed reading your blog on bats. Still, not my favourite species near or in my house! I tried to like your blog without having to sign into WordPress, which many people wouldn’t have an account. I think we talked about this….you might be missing a lot of visitors/clients and fans. Have a great weekend, Cathy
Sent from my iPad
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Hi Cathy, it was about time to give thanks to our bat friends this morning. I can see how many people would not appreciate living with them. it looks like your comment was posted, I will check with gary to see if there is some easier way for people to comment.
I like the last painting best. Good contrast in the colours and it’s enlivened by that irregular border.
Thanks ger, your observation of my work is always appreciated. Did you see the sister painting of the one you like in my Innocence post?
Thanks for your continued art and reflections. I especially like the little blue purple one. Started a painting today in pastel
Glad you find my posts interesting. I like to share and get some feedback. I did a month of daily painting in July and I am just going to keep it up as it has now become a routine. Send me a picture of your pastel painting when you are done.
Nice work, love the upside down bat
Thanks gigi 🙂