July 30, 2004

Bat Update

i got the details on bat risk. It's not dangerous to touch a dead bat, but you shouldn't do it. If you see a bat in the daytime, and it's crawling on the ground, something's wrong. It probably has rabies so don't mess with it, it may bite you and then you're in trouble. You can get rabies if bat saliva gets in your eyes, nose, mouth or a wound. In other words, don't make out with the bat.

The source for this info is here, in case you're interested. i also learned that many young bats are unable to fly during summer. So it's possible that i simply saw a lost, but undiseased, young bat.

Here's the proper way to capture a bat:

What you will need:
  • leatherwork gloves (put them on)

  • small box or coffee can

  • piece of cardboard

  • tape
When the bat lands, approach it slowly, while wearing the gloves, and place the box or coffee can over it. Slide the cardboard under the container to trap the bat inside. Tape the cardboard to the container securely, and punch small holes in the cardboard, allowing the bat to breathe. Contact your health department or animal-control authority to make arrangements for rabies testing.

If you see a bat in your home and you are sure no human or pet exposure has occurred, confine the bat to a room by closing all doors and windows leading out of the room except those to the outside. The bat will probably leave soon. If not, it can be caught, as described and released outdoors away from people and pets.

Not that anyone would ever need to know that, but hey, it never hurts to be prepared. Might as well assemble your bat capture kit this weekend and keep it handy, just in case.

Posted by: annika at 01:26 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
Post contains 302 words, total size 2 kb.

July 26, 2004

Where's A Digital Camera When You Need One? (Reprise)

i just saw the weirdest thing. A bat. It was right outside the building crawling along the sidewalk on all fours, right where i saw that huge dragonfly a few weeks ago. The bat was gray, about three inches long, and moving very slowly, about the speed of a large beetle. i didn't know what it was at first and i jumped and let out a loud scream, 'cause it was right by my foot when i first saw it. Poor thing was lost, it should have been hanging upside down in a cave somewhere. i thought about picking it up and bringing it into the office to show everybody. Then i thought about rabies and left it alone. Some car is probably going to run over it, over but there's nothing i can do about that. It's getting to be like a menagerie outside my building. i really should bring a digital camera with me when i take my smoke breaks.

Posted by: annika at 10:07 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
Post contains 180 words, total size 1 kb.

July 14, 2004

Things To Miss And Not To Miss After One Moves From L.A.

Besides my family, my best friend and my former-boyfriend, things i miss include: morning runs on San Vicente Boulevard, Bill Handel's radio show, The Hollywood Bowl, and it may sound trite but yes, i miss sunset at the beach. Oh yah, and deli food. You can always find good deli food there. And, of course, convenient parking most of the time.

Things to not miss include: traffic jams due to road construction on every single street everywhere at all times, all tailgaters, and stupid Mercedes-Benz drivers who don't think they have to stop at four way stop signs because they're oh-so-much-more-important than everyone else. These drivers are probably the same pretentious a-holes who sit in Starbuck's and make it a point to talk about their latest "project" as loud as possible.

Posted by: annika at 06:38 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 155 words, total size 1 kb.

July 13, 2004

Buffer Post

i'm back up north again. Mom is doing great. She's tired but the doctors say if she changes her diet and takes her medication she should be okay. She's never had any heart problems before, that was always Dad's thing, so this was a shock to us all. Anyways, i just got into town and i'm going to have a few beers and go to sleep early. It's terribly hot tonight. This post is intended as a buffer since the last post was such a downer and it's been up all weekend and i just want to put the whole thing behind me right now. It was a very trying weekend, with lots of family shit to sort out, but that's another story.

Posted by: annika at 09:08 PM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
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