All in a day's work.
By eileenleyva
@eileenleyva (27555)
Philippines
July 30, 2021 6:30am CST
The sun shone bright today. Very hot. A good day for yardwork.
Few minutes into the chore, it rained. Sigh!
I had to get a quick shower to avoid the flu. Contracted a dry cough and I wouldn't want the condition to worsen.
Had three slices of pizza pan for lunch. Plus my favorite dessert - the cathedral gelatin.
Dozed to sleep at noon time.
Woke up an hour later to the sound of a truck horn calling. The tree trimmers had arrived. I thought they would come tomorrow.
Made a quick lousy braid of my long locks, scrambled for my yard slippers, sipped a litter water, took a few bills from my wallet, wore my mask, and out to the yard I went.
Not a branch left to my aratelis tree. The mango canopy gone.
Sat on my porch a few moments ago, in time to witness bats disoriented, flying like crazy. 
Sigh! I felt bad I was responsible for the bats losing their home.
Woke up an hour later to the sound of a truck horn calling. The tree trimmers had arrived. I thought they would come tomorrow.
Made a quick lousy braid of my long locks, scrambled for my yard slippers, sipped a litter water, took a few bills from my wallet, wore my mask, and out to the yard I went.
Not a branch left to my aratelis tree. The mango canopy gone.
Sat on my porch a few moments ago, in time to witness bats disoriented, flying like crazy.
Sigh! I felt bad I was responsible for the bats losing their home.8 people like this
10 responses
@florelway (23339)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
30 Jul 21
Sorry for the aratelis. I now crave for those food you posted. Gelatin, pluffy muffins. Being in a quarantine makes me crave for a lot of food. It's always oranges, banana, and bread and biscuits. Good thing my staff sent me guyabano, at least something different. I want chocolate cake. 
2 people like this
@eileenleyva (27555)
• Philippines
30 Jul 21
The aratelis will grow back soon enough. Fruiting season is summer next year.
Had the guava cut down. Will plant a Chinese guava. Fruit is softer.
Ask someone to buy you a week's supply of cakes and pastries. Sometimes, we have to satisfy the craving.
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27555)
• Philippines
31 Jul 21
@florelway I love the empanada from both outlets. Always avail of box of six. Hope your niece could soon be of assistance to you.
Chinese guava is a bit small - an inch and a half in diameter. It's soft and sweet. Yum!
1 person likes this
@florelway (23339)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
31 Jul 21
@eileenleyva That's right. It's Saturday I hope my niece will be available for an errand since she has no work. We're on Ecq, it's hard to go to the city. Eh red ribbon lang at Goldilocks gusto ko. Just heard of Chinese Guava. Is it the. big one with white meat and not so seedy?
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27555)
• Philippines
31 Jul 21
@rakski Yup. The baranggay is most helpful. One call and the streetsweepers come to clean my front facade.
@eileenleyva (27555)
• Philippines
30 Jul 21
The local baranggay provides tree trimming.
Yup, bats love the aratelis tree.
2 people like this
@rakski (156200)
• Philippines
31 Jul 21
@eileenleyva that is good that the baranggay provides it
1 person likes this
@rsa101 (40946)
• Philippines
2 Aug 21
@eileenleyva Oh that's true, bats are onw of the sources of different viruses that can host and develop harmful to humans .
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27555)
• Philippines
2 Aug 21
@rsa101 Yes. So I'd keep trimming the tree. Bald all the rainy season and leafy only come summer.
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27555)
• Philippines
31 Jul 21
I can see new branches sprouting now. The rain helps.
Actually, I don't like the bats coming to my tree. I'd like to pick aratelis from the tree and eat it right there and then. The bats necessitate me to bring the fruits in the kitchen and wash first. Ya know - the virus scare.
1 person likes this
@arunima25 (93194)
• Bangalore, India
30 Jul 21
I am having a lots of bat issues on my terrace. They have made home in the roof tiles and they ruin our evening time on terrace. They fly too close to us and it's not comfortable.
They fly too close to us and it's not comfortable.1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27555)
• Philippines
30 Jul 21
That is also one reason I had to trim the Aratelis Tree (Jamaican Berry), it's a natural habitat for bats.
Is there such a tree near your terrace?
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27555)
• Philippines
30 Jul 21
@arunima25 I do not know how to drive away bats but maybe you could put some vinegar on the tiles. I know animals don't like vinegar.
1 person likes this
@arunima25 (93194)
• Bangalore, India
30 Jul 21
@eileenleyva No such trees. They hide between the two layers of tiles on the terrace gazebo.
1 person likes this
@yoalldudes (35030)
• Philippines
30 Jul 21
I remember you wear masks when going to the yard because of the neighbor?
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27555)
• Philippines
30 Jul 21
It's because of the tree trimmers.
They were all vaccinated but we have to be careful still. The Delta Variant is highly transmissible.
@yoalldudes (35030)
• Philippines
30 Jul 21
@eileenleyva It is better to be safe than sorry, so I can understand you.
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27555)
• Philippines
30 Jul 21
@yoalldudes The tree trimmers were also wearing masks. Our local baranggay is strict on protocol.
1 person likes this
@aureategloom (11025)
• Bosnia And Herzegovina
31 Jul 21
why are you responsible for bats losing their home?
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27555)
• Philippines
31 Jul 21
Yup. We are all responsible for every living creature.
“Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth” [Gen 1:26–28].
Bats included.
@eileenleyva (27555)
• Philippines
2 Aug 21
@aureategloom Got all the branches spliced by a tree trimmer. Only the trunk remained. The bats, naturally, are homeless.
@aureategloom (11025)
• Bosnia And Herzegovina
2 Aug 21
@eileenleyva okay, but i'm asking you how is that your fault? did you remove their house or?
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27555)
• Philippines
2 Aug 21
Yes, the gelatin is really good. I have one every week. Helps the digestive system.
In my country, the people keep away from bats. Only the research scientists are allowed to touch bats. The bats though are scattered all through the outskirts of the metropolis.
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27555)
• Philippines
30 Jul 21
I live in a valley and three streets away from my house is a mini forest. Perhaps that's where the bats will go.
