Bats! Mosquitoes and Tequila! OH MY!

Good moment, everyone! Scheduled for last week’s show on December 1st was Laura Seckbach Finn, Bat Expert. The Universe had it hidden in the deck that our show would play out a bit differently than planned…and for the good of all!

Although we aren’t sure what happened to Laura (but we sure hope she’s ok!), the show went on!

As for me, there was an odd power outage in the area so that means that Yes, Jim, computers and phones and skypes involve wattage and I couldn't connect with the amazing modern world.

Ah, but it went on without me. And without a guest! So that leaves one co-host flapping in the breeze alone!

Actually, not so. She was joined by Jim Ellis, of Legacy Productions (thank you Jim for keeping Jennifer company and for asking those strange and intriguing questions!). Jim and Jennifer are currently the brains and brawn behind 1000 Breaths – a fundraiser to create a documentary to expose child trafficking that is aimed to be distributed in schools and other places that will educate adults and children alike. One disturbing fact – that two children per minute are involved in trafficking. NO children….actually, NO ONE should be used for such purposes. It’s a great cause and you can find loads of information at the Blog.

Since we were guestless and we really wanted to learn about bats, I thought we’d include some interesting bat facts here (obtained from Here!)

The ears of bats are extremely sensitive to sound. Some species of bats are even more sensitive to sound than others.

A few species of bats are carnivorous. Their meals may consist of frogs, lizards, birds and fish.

Vampire bats feed mainly on the blood of cattle, horses and wild mammals.

Contrary to popular belief bats rarely bite humans.

Bats are extremely clean creatures and may groom themselves for hours. (Seems to me that our dog does the same....)

The average lifespan of a bat is approximately twenty years. This figure may vary according to the species.

The mouse-eared bat was declared extinct in 1991.Bats have existed for over 50 million years.

Bats are not blind as most people believe. They have excellent vision though they see in shades of grey.

Bats communicate and navigate with high frequency sounds.

Not all bats are carriers of rabies. In fact, the incidence of rabies in bats is no higher than in skunks or any other mammal that lives in the wild. The rate of rabies found in bats is actually rather low.

Bats exist in large social groups. They roost upside down in caves and trees.

There are over 900 species of bats. Over 60 of those species are endangered.

A bat's wings contain the same bones found in the four fingers and hand of a human being.

Some male bats sing to attract a mate. ( A Justin Timberbat somewhere out there?)

The spotted bat has the largest ears of any bat species native to North America. It is also one of the rarest mammals in the United States.

Although most bats exist in tropical forest habitats bats are found everywhere in the world other than the Arctic and Antarctic. (I think garlic has nearly the same stats!)

Bats produce only one offspring annually. The young are referred to as pups. They are born blind and have no fur. Mothers nurse their pups until they are approximately six months of age.

And for ALL YOU TEQUILA FANS!!! You must read this article by Hector T. Arita and Don E. Wilson. They say that The interdependence between bats and agaves is so strong that one might not be able to survive without the other.

Let's do some quick math - Tequila needs Agave. Agave needs NIGHTTIME pollination. Bees are not like NYC...they sleep. At Night. That leaves certain Flowers In Need waiting for a suitor. Enter, stage right, wearing cape and tights....the Long Nosed Bat.

Not only that, but a small brown bat can eat 600 mosquitoes per HOUR! (Find a great article on what other nocturnal noodges they eat here.)

And even though we didn't get to speak with intended guest, Laura, we'd love to give you her website where you can view a Batcam! If the link doesn't work, you can find her work at http://www.flybynightinc.org/.

Tomorrow's guest will be Kristine Carlson, wife of the late Richard Carlson (author of "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff" books). She will be sharing her story of making her way and finding herself through the grief of losing her husband.

That's all for this time and yes, Jim, I certainly do know a thing or two about laying cement.

Or do I?