We Were Attacked by Bats (sorta)

Today we had a field trip with S3's class. We were headed out to an outdoor nature center. And S3 has had a countdown for DAYS.

Today it rained. Well, poured really. And there was much thunder and flashes of lightening. Did I mention the OUTDOOR part of this nature center?

There was an indoor part and it was cool, the kids could pet snakes and really, how cool is that? But after eating lunch on the floor of the center, the sun made an appearance and so we headed out the "the barn".

Upon traisping thru the tall grass past gardens that would have been fun to explore, we arrived at a barn. When we got into the barn we heard a weird chirping sound. And there was, in this immaculately clean barn, poop stains on the floor. So us moms, wondering what it was we should be avoiding, looked up. And there we seen a large writhing mess of BATS.

Bats that were squeaking.

Moms plastered themselves to the far walls. Dads laughed and started telling bat stories of their youth. Kids sat down on carpet squares to hear stories about a Farmer (when most of them are on a farm or near a farm already) and the nature center workers in charge gave us moms the stink eye for making a big deal over the bats. "They stay up there all the time, they aren't a problem at all" the girl informed us.

So, moms did what moms do in such situations. We took pictures with the zoom of our camera. KE, the kids wonderful teacher and my beach bum friend, kept a sharp eye on the bats and another on the kids. We teased her they could fly for her and she informed us that if they flew at her she would be out of there.

Two more friends I was there with thought it would be funny that as KE was leaving the barn, we would tell her they were flying around. They laughed at their brilliance of the schemed plan.

Until the squeaking got louder and suddenly a bat really did start flying...and heading right in our direction.

Moms were screaming and plastered to the wall. Dads were on the other side of the barn nearly doubled over with laughter. Kids turned with wide eyes toward their mothers who protect them at all times as we hit the deck.

The bus driver has it all on camera. If it shows up on youtube, you will be sure I will be uploading it.

The young nature center employee girl was dumbfounded, we could tell, and scared, and she was the one who had to take care of it since it had just landed with a plop on the poop stained floor. She left to get a towel so all of us moms headed over to snap more pictures. The kids could not concentrate on the story and while they did settle down to hear the rest, they kept looking back at us.

A dad ended up getting the baby bat scooped up in a towel and putting it on the side of the barn beam so it could begin crawling back to the writhing mess of them.

All settled down. Until the bats started this screeching and squeaking thing again. Every mom's eyes looked up. We watched above our heads as the guide assured it was just a fluke and that they never flew around like that when...

One let go and started flying around the barn.

You have never seen a barn move and empty out so fast ever!

So S3 and I celebrated our field trip survival with coffee. Yum yum and fun fun!