Skip to main content

User account menu

  • Log in
Shopping cart 0
Cart

Search

Search
Home The Yazoo Herald

Domain menu for Yazoo Herald (mobile)

  • Post
    • Leaderboard
    • Post Dashboard
    • Payment Settings
  • Home
    • Contact Us
    • FAQ
    • Monthly Website Statistics
    • Our History
    • Our Staff
    • Privacy Policy
    • Submit News
  • Most Read
  • Most Recent
  • More News
    • Cartoons
    • Crime
    • Documents
    • Politics
    • Public Notices
    • Lifestyles
    • Videos
  • E-Editions
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Submit a Letter
    • Columns
    • Comments
    • Editorials
    • Letters
    • Polls
  • Advertising
    • Website Rates
    • Legal Notices
    • Newspaper Rates
    • Place a Classified Ad
  • Calendar
  • Obituaries
  • Social
  • Subscribe
  • State
  • Post
    • Leaderboard
    • Post Dashboard
    • Payment Settings
  • Home
    • Contact Us
    • FAQ
    • Monthly Website Statistics
    • Our History
    • Our Staff
    • Privacy Policy
    • Submit News
  • Most Read
    • Most Read This Week
    • Most Read This Month
    • Most Read This Year
    • Most Read All Time
  • Most Recent
  • More News
    • Cartoons
    • Crime
    • Documents
    • Politics
    • Public Notices
    • Lifestyles
    • Videos
  • E-Editions
    • Archives
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Submit a Letter
    • Columns
    • Comments
    • Editorials
    • Letters
    • Polls
  • Advertising
    • Website Rates
    • Legal Notices
    • Newspaper Rates
    • Place a Classified Ad
  • Calendar
  • Obituaries
    • Submit an Obituary
  • Social
    • Anniversaries/Births
    • Engagements/Weddings
    • Schools
    • Submit an Anniversary
    • Submit a Birth
    • Submit an Engagement
    • Submit School News
    • Submit Wedding
  • Subscribe
  • State

Unexpected evening visit from a bat

By Jamie Patterson , READ MORE > 1,701 Reads
On Mon, 09/09/2019 - 09:17 AM

The evening was finally settling down in the Patterson home. But little did we know that full chaos was about to ensue.

Our children were actually asleep, for once, without any requests for water or pleading for an extra few minutes up. My husband Jason and I decided to take advantage of the moment, relaxing in our recliners to watch a television show that didn’t involve a princess or first responder puppy dogs.

Searching for a channel to watch, I thought I saw a shadow go across the light from our lamp cast upon the wall. Assuming it was probably a beetle or other bug trapped within the light fixture, I ignored it.

Then I saw Jason looking around as he was sitting in his recliner.

“I think there is a bird in the house,” he said, calmly.

I didn’t make a big deal out of it because birds have found their way into our house before.

But this was no bird…

“It’s a bat,” Jason shouted, jumping up from his seat.

As I turned my head toward the corner of the room where I continued to see shadows dancing on the wall, I saw it. It was a bat, and it was a bat with an impressive wing span.

“No, no, no…” I squealed as I jumped up from my recliner and ran towards our bedroom. “I can’t deal!!”

I felt like I was abandoning my husband to the frenzy of a rabies-infested creature of the night. But he was the man. They are supposed to handle spiders, possums and, yes, bats.

The French doors to our bedroom have glass panes in them so I was able to get a first-class seat to the action that was to unfold over the next half hour.

Jason grabbed a broom in an effort to coax the bat out of the house. He had no desire to hurt the bat, but he wanted to convince him that the open doors leading out of the house were his best path options.

It reminded me of that scene from the John Candy movie, “The Great Outdoors.” Jason made several attempts to push the bat out the house or at least in the direction of the open doors. But nothing was working.

It was almost like a scene from Top Gun with the bat swooping and diving around Jason as he tried to stay on his feet. One time, the bat even flew in between his legs, narrowly avoiding running into my closed bedroom door.

In the midst of the chaos, it was a beautiful moment for a minute. Not Jason dancing around the house with a broom. But the bat’s flight through our house almost resembled a ballet. His gentle movements would gracefully spin around corners. To be honest, it was quite impressive watching the winged creature in flight.

Jason began putting his hands on his knees, panting for breath, when the bat finally made his way outside the open front door.

The entire incident took about half an hour. The kids never woke up, thank goodness. Jason got quite a cardio workout from chasing the bat around the house waving a broom. And I got an up-close look at nature, safely behind closed doors.

Every afternoon when I come home for work, I inspect every corner and every dark space for any other bat who decides to pay the Patterson house a visit. I am sure they don’t intend to harm anyone, but it can be a pretty overwhelming experience considering all the folklore you are given about bats as a child.

But putting all those legends and myths aside, it was almost a neat experience. The bat really was mesmerizing with its flight pattern. And maybe he picked up a few bugs in our house before we discovered him.

The sun was slightly setting the other night when I returned home from the grocery store. Making my way up to our side porch, I looked up at the orange sky, moments before the sun retired for the evening.

And I saw a bat, diving and flying, picking up a few bugs for supper. I grinned as I made my way into our house. I admit, I closed the door quickly to ensure another visit wasn’t in order. But behind the kitchen curtain, I watched him for a few moments in flight.

And for a moment, his right wing titled in a certain way that resembled a wave. Maybe I am overthinking it, but for a brief second I waved back.

‹ PreviousNext ›

News

Board: PERS investments show rebound in final quarter of 2020

The board of trustees for the state’s defined benefit pension system held their monthly meeting… READ MORE

City board discusses garbage collection problems
PSC restores water pressure throughout the city
PSC makes progress on water Sunday morning
Water will be distributed at downtown fire station
PSC making progress on water problems

Sports

Lady Indians reach the end against No. 1 ranked Pontotoc

The Yazoo City Lady Indians knew they had their work cut out for them Monday night in their Class… READ MORE

Lady Panthers fall at Franklin County 66-50
Yazoo County Powerlifters compete
Dixon and Frierson earn All-District honors
Irvin and Collum earn All-District honors
Collum scores 14 against Magee

Sign Up for Notifications of Local Breaking News

Start E-mail NotificationsStop E-mail NotificationsStart Mobile NotificationsStop Mobile Notifications

E Edition Button NEW

Most Recent

Ralph Vanlandingham

Memorial Services for Coach Ralph Allen Vanlandingham will be held Tuesday, March 2, 2021 at 10:00 … READ MORE

Mississippi teachers, first responders eligible for COVID-19 vaccines on March 1
Education groups rip Speaker Gunn’s massive tax proposal
Mississippi’s first wind farm planned for Tunica
House Passes Rep. Trent Kelly’s Bill to Name Tupelo Post Office for Colonel Carlyle “Smitty” Harris
Wicker Reintroduces National Ocean Exploration Act

Most Read News Article

  • Week
  • Month
  • Year
  • All Time

PSC makes progress on water Sunday morning

Public Service Commission of Yazoo has been able to maintain an above average constant pressure in… READ MORE

The multifaceted role of Black churches in Yalobusha County
Bolivar County Sheriff Seeks Public's Help in Locating Missing 19-year-old Male
Water will be distributed at downtown fire station
Editorial: Earned Income Tax Credit vs. Minimum Wage
Ralph Vanlandingham

Barry Clark Saxton Sr.

  Barry Clark Saxton Sr., 68 of Benton passed away Thursday, January 28, 2021 at The University of… READ MORE

Delta Wine & Spirits employees charged with embezzlement
Juvenile crime rising in Yazoo City, Alderman says there's nothing for youth to do during COVID
Dr. William Puffer Thompson
Reeves outlines vision for eliminating state income tax and increasing teacher pay in State of the State speech
Barbara Hicks

Governor Reeves explains "Safer at Home" policy

On his Facebook post, Gov. Tate Reeves explained that Mississippians are now "encouraged" but not "… READ MORE

Warrene Chisolm
19-year-old charged with capital murder
James Edwin Taylor
In this family girls don't pay
Holding on to him for as long as I can

Riding After a Dream

It all began when she was a little girl riding a stick horse. Her love of horses has provided a… READ MORE

Crimm completes term as president
Bill Beeson
Albert Woodley Cook Jr.
Shirley Summerlin
Roberta Ann Pyles

Opinion

Coach Van loved our kids like they were his own

It was early in my career in the newspaper business when I drove out to the Delta town of Drew to… READ MORE

Opinion: Demario Davis’s second chance
Opinion: Why freeze when Cancun beckons
Opinion: PERS trend is unsustainable
Opinion: He who stirs up the most passion wins
Opinion: Why fix what isn't broken?

Weddings and Engagements

Lifestyles

Miss Mady LeAnn Holt to wed Barrett Whitworth on February 20

Mr. and Mrs. Danny Holt of Kosciusko announce the engagement and forthcoming marriage of their… READ MORE

Mr. and Miss Manchester Academy
BA students place a MAIS District Spelling Bee
Maci Lowery finishes fourth in MAIS Overall Spelling Bee
Lauren Saxton named Linwood Elementary Teacher of the Year
Covenant Christian Honor Roll

Social

MA Cutest and Friendliest

Will Peeler and Annsley Smith were chosen Cutest and Friendliest at Manchester Academy.

Mr. and Miss Manchester Academy

Obituaries

Ralph Vanlandingham

Memorial Services for Coach Ralph Allen Vanlandingham will be held Tuesday, March 2, 2021 at 10:00 … READ MORE

Willard Broom
Glenda Creech Franklin
Alice Fay Cummings Johnston
Alice Hearn Green
Billy Joe Ragland

COMPANY COMMUNITY ADVERTISE E-EDITIONS MORE NEWS
Contact Community Calendar Subscribe Magazine E-Edition Cartoons
FAQ/Help Obituaries Ad Rates Newspaper Archive Columns
Our History Engagements/Weddings Ad Staff Newspaper E-Edition
Our Staff Most Read My Account Special Section Editorials
Statewide Most Recent     Features

Click on the city name to visit its website.

ACKERMAN  •  CARROLLTON  •  CHARLESTON  •  CLARKSDALE  •  COLUMBIA  •  DUMAS(Ark.)  •  EUPORA  •  FOREST  • 

FRANKLINTON(La.)  • GREENVILLE  •  GREENWOOD  •  GRENADA  •  HATTIESBURG  •  JACKSON  •  KOSCIUSKO  •  INDIANOLA  • 

LOUISVILLE  • MAGEE  • MENDENHALL  •  McCOMB  •  NEWTON  •  PETAL  •  QUITMAN  •  SENATOBIA  •  TALLULAH(La.)  •  WINONA  •  YAZOO CITY


Copyright 2020 - The Yazoo Herald | Privacy Statement | Help | Terms of Service

The Yazoo Herald - 1035 Grand Ave., Yazoo City, MS 39194 - (662)-746-4911

Emmerich Newspapers proud to serve your local communities.

Thank you for visiting our website.