Yes, I'm greedy... GothGardening is having another contest, and I want to win!! But really, that's just an excuse to write about one of my favorite things... BATS!
Even before I discovered the goth subculture, I've loved bats. When I took my son, who was four at the time, to a Cub Scout weekend camp, there was a bat under the door flap of our tent, and when I opened the flap I accidentally flipped it inside. Instead of screaming and/or running, I called to him, "Hey, Stuart, come quick, we've got a BAT in our tent!" But it flew out before he could get there, so all he saw was this little black streak zipping away through the air. Bummer, dude... All the other kids around us thought it was cool, though. :-)
Bats are not only CUTE, they're also ecologically awesome! Did you know that:
~An anticoagulant found in vampire bat saliva may soon be used to treat human cardiac patients.
~Some seeds will not sprout unless they have passed through the digestive
tracts of a bat. Additionally, bats spread millions of seeds every year from
the ripe fruit they eat. Approximately 95% of the reforestation of the tropical
rainforest is a result of seed dispersal from bats.
~Bat dropping is called guano and is an important fertilizer in
many tropical regions because of its high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen. During the Civil War, U.S. soldiers used bat guano to make gunpowder.
~In China and Japan, bats are symbols of happiness. In Chinese, the words
for “bat” and “good fortune” are both pronounced “fu.”
~Bats make up a quarter of all mammals; there are over 1,100 species of bats in the world.
BUT...
~More than 50 percent of bat species in the United States are either in severe decline or are listed as endangered.
So you see, it's important to keep our bats happy and healthy! We don't realize how much we need them.
Finally, here is a pic of the holiday cards I sent out to all my goth friends this year. I actually bought them LAST year on Christmas Day, just to make sure I had them!
This card is currently available at Elipsis Design on Etsy. Check it out, along with all the other awesome small businesses on Etsy!
And although it's a bit early yet, have a Very Batty Christmas, everyone!
Good luck with the contest. Those are some gorgeous Christmas cards
ReplyDeleteThanks! And yes, they are great cards. They come with pretty red-foil lined envelopes, too!
DeleteI got mine today! Squeeee ... it's on the piano. It's the only one I've kept. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm pleased and flattered! :-)
DeleteI like them too, unfortunately in Australia they carry a virus that can be deadly to humans, so you can't handle them unless you are a proper wildlife carer!
ReplyDeleteOoer, that sounds nasty... I hate to say it, but almost everything in Australia seems to be either poisonous or deadly to humans! Present company excepted, of course... ;-) I would think most people would be afraid to live there, but apparently that's not the case.
DeleteYay! I love it! Thank you for participating :D Of course when I came up with this idea, I hadn't realize that all the small business support encouragement could put a dent in my wallet :p Those cards are amazing!
ReplyDeleteHeheheh, yes indeed, beware the small businesses, especially those involving really cute mammals (or fun representations thereof)!! ;-)
DeleteI don't get why people are so bat averse (excepting the Australian virus ridden bit of course!). They have the most beautiful little faces, and tiny feet. Super post, must trundle over to see Goth-Gardener's comp now :)
ReplyDeleteI know, I LOVE their noses and feet, and those pretty wings!! I think people are mainly afraid of them because they 1) come out mostly at night and in large numbers, and 2) look a bit scary. Hmmm, rather like most goths!! Which could be why we like bats so much... ;-)
Deletequite possibly so! I see the Prof has tagged you in her video for a challenge :)
DeleteOh, thanks for telling me! I haven't listened to it yet because I only have decent computer access at work right now, and I can only listen to an 18-minute video at lunch time. Guess I'd better pull it up at lunch today! :-)
DeleteYou are mentioned in the last minute or so, it was a long but enjoyable listen - but I was on the comfort of my settee at home :)
DeleteI FINALLY remembered to watch it today, thanks again! It was indeed enjoyable, even though I watched it from the slightly lesser comfort of my padded executive chair at work.
DeleteOf course, I have NO idea when I'll have a chance to do it, hopefully soon! I looked for yours but didn't see it up yet (hint, hint). ;-)
I looove bats. They are one of my favorite animals :D
ReplyDeleteThey are so cuuuute! Who could NOT love a bat???
DeleteOMG, I was just Googling bats and came across this post... with my artwork on it! Thank you so much for ordering cards from me a couple of years ago... I'm so happy that people really like this design and I'm hoping to do a new one this week! Cheers!
ReplyDeleteOh, wow, that's fantastic! I still have a few of them left, which I'm sending again this year! I will definitely be checking out your Etsy site again, I will be needing more cards. Thanks for commenting! :-)
DeleteHello Lucretia,
ReplyDeleteIts always wonderful to find another bat lover! I am the president of a volunteer organisation in Australia called Bat Rescue Inc. and I was googling xmas batty greetings and your card popped up. I am in the middle of composing my xmas email to my volunteers who have been inundated with baby grey-headed flying-foxes due to heat and starvation. We had some money donated and I wanted to share it amongst our carers for fruit etc. I wanted to ask you if I could use your image in my email as it is so lovely. No worries if you prefer not, its your business after all. Many thanks for spreading the good word about these wonderful animals. Regards Batmad
Hello, fellow bat lover! :-) I agree, it's always nice to find new 'batty' friends. Ellipsis Designs is an Etsy shop. You can find them at www.etsy.com under the shop name. And they not only have this design available, they've got another bat card that's just as adorable! Good luck with your bat rescue, and thank you for caring! :-)
DeleteOops just realised the artwork belongs to Ellipsis design, after reading through the previous posts. I will be checking it out for batty stuff as we do display days and try to educate the masses we are always looking for different batty merchandise. Having trouble finding link...help.
ReplyDelete