Hauke

About a week ago after that evening Mesa got some rain and strong winds (around the end of July 2024), a bat was blown into my pool where it was then collected in the leaf skimmer.  She apparently clung to the side of the skimmer wall all night and I found her the next morning, looking miserable.  She was strong enough to grip a little branch and be lifted out, but not fly. Taking care of bats is beyond the ability of most people.  Handling them is tricky because of the risk of rabies and listeria; it should really be handled by people with training.  Since she didn't seem to be recovering on her own, I went looking for local experts and found https://www.azbatrescue.org/ The above picture is from them.  She was released a day ago after spending about a week being fed and resting.  It looked like there were bat rehab volunteers all over Maricopa county, just in case you run across one that looks like it needs help.  Remember to not touch it directly!  Wear gloves or use a washcloth or towel to gently handle them.  Keep them someplace safe until you can contact help. ...

 I was thinking about everyone driving to and from the BBQ meet (and probably other meets) and ran across a map in an article from 12news.com.  (Support local news sources!)Map of red-light runner crashesA lot of them seem random but around many streets that are exits from highways, there are little groups of them--as if people getting off of the freeway think they're still on it? Or people in a hurry to get to the onramp risk going through the intersection? I have friends who were hit while they were trying to turn left at Southern and Lindsey in Mesa by a person trying to beat the light and get through going straight...that's on there.  They're still waiting for the insurance money on that even though it happened in July of 2020.How safely do furries drive?  There have been a few conversations on Telegram where furs have said "On my way here" or other comments that made it sound like they were effectively texting and driving but it was probably once per month or less...and always the same handful of people.  Of course I've heard a lot of comments about younger folks getting to be 16 and not wanting to get a license or bother with driving at all.  Do furs reflect that or exaggerate it (with disproportionate numbers either way)?  Stuff to think about while I'm driving to work. ...