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Pat Shingleton: "Mom, The Clothesline and Bats..."

5 years 8 months 2 weeks ago Thursday, July 12 2018 Jul 12, 2018 July 12, 2018 9:00 AM July 12, 2018 in Pat Shingleton Column
By: Pat Shingleton:

I remember Mom always positioned at the kitchen sink.  It was also the location that she was struck by lightning and it could be the reason for her instructions at the approach of a thunderstorm.  We understood the reasoning of “taking the clothes off the line” once a shower erupted.  It was a mad scramble as we bee-lined it outside to basket the clothes. Gathered around the tube watching The 3 Stooges she would also instruct us to “close the upstairs windows.” Our screened windows were open all summer, providing cooling breezes.  On rare occasions a passing front would require some to be closed.  The other “closure” occurred whether it was a few sprinkles or a downpour. Once closed, we forgot to open them, leading to a stuffy evening and a missed episode of Moe, Larry and Curly. On now to a story of bats... Gaines Garrett, also known as “Big Ron,” shared a story, years ago, concerning some bats in Jay Babb’s belfry.  I reprimanded Gaines until he verified that the infestation was accurate and Dr. Eddie Wren was contacted to resolve Jay’s bats. The Journal of Wildlife Management reported that in Canada, bats suffer from wind turbines.  Researchers discovered that migratory bats in southern Alberta were killed by decreasing atmospheric pressure caused by blade rotation, impacting the bats’ lungs.  Professors at the University of Calgary noted that bats fly when turbine speeds are low. To reduce fatalities without compromising energy, blades were slowed on 38 turbines during low-wind periods and during peak wind periods, bats don’t fly. After I advanced this story, “Big Ron” and Dr. Wren are installed turbines.

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