Halloween comes early at Plas y Nant

Just let me take my Rescue Remedy then I'll be able to carry on with this blog post. Right, I feel a bit calmer now so I shall begin.

Earlier this week, it might have been Tuesday but the days have become a bit of a blur, I was busy working away on the computer in the chapel when all the lights appeared to be flickering. Resigning myself to yet another expedition to the "Shoe Shine" room to switch the power back on when it tripped, I saved my documents and turned round to get ready to go out. Then, to my utter horror, I saw the reason for the flickering lights. A huge bat! It was flying around inside the chapel, like a bat out of hell, and it was only 2 o'clock in the afternoon. Well, I did the only thing I could think of at first and that was scream and run out. Standing outside in the pouring rain, wondering if my heart would ever beat at a normal pace again, I realised that everything I needed was still inside the chapel of fear. Taking a big deep breath I gingerly opened the door intending to go in and grab my coat, phone and keys. However, the bat somehow saw me and swooped causing me to scream yet again and charge back out. All these people who've told me that bats won't fly near me obviously haven't seen the bats of Plas y Nant. Back outside in the rain I decided that I needed a good talking to and told myself that this was ridiculous and to go back in there and get the phone. With the bat still swooping at me I literally crawled along the floor grabbed the phone and crawled back out. Meanwhile all three dogs were sprawled out fast asleep on the sofas without a care in the world. I managed to put a call through to David who reassured me that he would try and get home a bit earlier that evening and sort it out. He suggested that I open the window and the door but unfortunately the presence of the bat prevented me from opening the window but I did leave the door wide open. The only thing I could do now was to go and sit it out in the caravan. Suddenly Alfie shot out of the chapel with his tail between his legs and stood next to me quivering, staring back in. I can always rely on my dogs to protect me in times of crisis. Pops and Smidge followed quite quickly so we all went and took refuge in the caravan leaving Tilly the cat with the bat.

Many hours passed and David eventually came home to my rescue. He checked everywhere in the chapel and there was no sign whatsoever of the bat. I had calmed down a fair bit by now but I wasn't looking forward to going to bed - as our bed is in the chapel. Eventually he persuaded me that it was safe to return and that the bat had probably flown out the door. Settling down in bed with a soothing book and David drifting off to sleep next to me I kept glancing up at the beams, just in case. Suddenly out it swooped from behind one of the beams - accompanied by a huge scream from me. David shot out of bed and I dived completely under the quilt. For the next half hour all I could hear was him crashing around, the bat fluttering about and my heart beating too loudly. It refused to go out the window and eventually hid behind the beams again. After telling me that I'd just have to put up with it David got back into bed and went to sleep! I spent the whole night suffocating under the quilt and listening to the bat flapping about. I'd have got up and gone to the caravan but the door is at the opposite end to the bed so I was trapped. 

Morning eventually arrived, the bat disappeared yet again and I emerged from under the quilt. David went off to work and I gathered together everything I would need for that day as I was going to hide out in the caravan again. Before escaping I checked a few bat websites for advice as to what to do with a bat flying inside. Their first advice was not to panic - easier said than done - then to leave a window open, dim the lights and keep everything quiet. I carried out their last three instructions and we all abandoned the chapel for the day. Returning after dark that evening there was no sign at all of anything flying but, as I didn't know whether it had escaped or not, I spent the whole night in bed  with my gardening sun hat pulled over my face too scared to peep out and check. As I type this I've got one eye on the rafters watching for any untoward movement. I think I'll have another dose of Rescue Remedy.