**Please pardon the run-on sentences - I'm still shaken up**
Some of you may have noticed on Facebook Friday that I had recently been traumatized. I was being quite literal.
I had a stomach bug and worked from home Friday. I had some down time over lunch so I decided that I would surprise J and straighten up the house...something I rarely, if ever, do.
We had gone camping not too long ago, and some of our gear and blankets were still in the foyer. I was tired of looking at it, so I put it away. Two other blankets we have folded for decore' had been tossed into this basket/container by Jason a few days ago. Each time I walked by it, I'd eye it - annoyed that the blankets were not folded, but just tossed in. I decided to fold them. I pulled the white Ofelia blanket out and noticed this an odd/bad smell. I smelled it over and over trying to place the smell. I had no idea what it might be. The other half still smelled like detergent. I figured the smell was my imagination and decided to Febreese the whole thing, fold it, and set it aside. I pulled the next blanket out...a really pretty black and tan knit afghan I inherited from my Grandmother. It reeked...worst smelling thing I've ever come across. I still had no idea what the smell was. I tossed it downstairs to be washed.
I looked inside the basket/container the blankets had been in and noticed something. I couldn't tell what it was. I tilted the basket and moved my head closer to get a better look. Panic struck when I realized what it was. I dropped the basket and moved back as quickly as I could. Bud (the cat) was eyeing me suspiciously.
I was pretty sure the thing I had looked at, was a dead, partially decomposed bat. Yes, a bat. As in rabies-carrying, biting...will. turn. you. into. a vampire...BAT! I picked up the basket with two fingers and held it as far away from my body as I could and banished the basket to the front porch for Jason to examine when he got home.
I was shaking, and my already sensitive stomach was about to lurch.
I tossed the white blanket downstairs in disgust...the blanket that had touched my FACE moments ago as I tried to determine what the smell was.
I called my Mom to share my horror, then I called my sister. I finally got ahold of J and we tried to figure out where this beast had come from. We think it came home with us after our camping trip, but we have no idea how it got into the basket.
Jason confirmed it was a bat when he got home from work, and called animal control to determine how to dispose of it, and to see if they could test it for rabies.
Zoey, the most likely to have come into contact with the bat since she has full roam of the house, is current on her shots. Sadie was due in March, and Bo was due in May. We were terrified. Bosco and Sadie hadn't been in the foyer in months (which is where the basket was), so we don't think they came into contact with it, but we can't be sure. Animal control called back and said that since it was decomposing already they couldn't test it.
Our vet couldn't see Bosco and Sadie until Wednesday, but J felt so bad about missing their shots, that he made an appointment for them both at the other animal hospital in town tomorrow. Bo needs to see someone for his ears and joints too, so I'm glad we're going.
So, back to me being traumatized. I wasn't joking. My hands were shaking. My desk is next to my bed...I kept thinking a bat was going to crawl out from under the bed and bite me. I was sure that every bird chirp I heard through the window was a bat trying to come inside to get me. I have serious issues, I know, but I was (and still am) completely freaked out.
I know some of you (I'm looking at you Beth) would appreciate a good picture of the little guy, but I'm still too repulsed to try to get one.
Some of you may have noticed on Facebook Friday that I had recently been traumatized. I was being quite literal.
I had a stomach bug and worked from home Friday. I had some down time over lunch so I decided that I would surprise J and straighten up the house...something I rarely, if ever, do.
We had gone camping not too long ago, and some of our gear and blankets were still in the foyer. I was tired of looking at it, so I put it away. Two other blankets we have folded for decore' had been tossed into this basket/container by Jason a few days ago. Each time I walked by it, I'd eye it - annoyed that the blankets were not folded, but just tossed in. I decided to fold them. I pulled the white Ofelia blanket out and noticed this an odd/bad smell. I smelled it over and over trying to place the smell. I had no idea what it might be. The other half still smelled like detergent. I figured the smell was my imagination and decided to Febreese the whole thing, fold it, and set it aside. I pulled the next blanket out...a really pretty black and tan knit afghan I inherited from my Grandmother. It reeked...worst smelling thing I've ever come across. I still had no idea what the smell was. I tossed it downstairs to be washed.
I looked inside the basket/container the blankets had been in and noticed something. I couldn't tell what it was. I tilted the basket and moved my head closer to get a better look. Panic struck when I realized what it was. I dropped the basket and moved back as quickly as I could. Bud (the cat) was eyeing me suspiciously.
I was pretty sure the thing I had looked at, was a dead, partially decomposed bat. Yes, a bat. As in rabies-carrying, biting...will. turn. you. into. a vampire...BAT! I picked up the basket with two fingers and held it as far away from my body as I could and banished the basket to the front porch for Jason to examine when he got home.
I was shaking, and my already sensitive stomach was about to lurch.
I tossed the white blanket downstairs in disgust...the blanket that had touched my FACE moments ago as I tried to determine what the smell was.
I called my Mom to share my horror, then I called my sister. I finally got ahold of J and we tried to figure out where this beast had come from. We think it came home with us after our camping trip, but we have no idea how it got into the basket.
Jason confirmed it was a bat when he got home from work, and called animal control to determine how to dispose of it, and to see if they could test it for rabies.
Zoey, the most likely to have come into contact with the bat since she has full roam of the house, is current on her shots. Sadie was due in March, and Bo was due in May. We were terrified. Bosco and Sadie hadn't been in the foyer in months (which is where the basket was), so we don't think they came into contact with it, but we can't be sure. Animal control called back and said that since it was decomposing already they couldn't test it.
Our vet couldn't see Bosco and Sadie until Wednesday, but J felt so bad about missing their shots, that he made an appointment for them both at the other animal hospital in town tomorrow. Bo needs to see someone for his ears and joints too, so I'm glad we're going.
So, back to me being traumatized. I wasn't joking. My hands were shaking. My desk is next to my bed...I kept thinking a bat was going to crawl out from under the bed and bite me. I was sure that every bird chirp I heard through the window was a bat trying to come inside to get me. I have serious issues, I know, but I was (and still am) completely freaked out.
I know some of you (I'm looking at you Beth) would appreciate a good picture of the little guy, but I'm still too repulsed to try to get one.