b'We have arrived at another turning point of the year: summer into fall. While in some places it is still warm and summery, in other places the chillier winds have begun to blow. The leaves on the trees are still green, yet in late August and early September, one can almost feel the Earth shift into another gear. Carpe diem, everyone, because autumn is coming! Each season brings a new and different appreciation for Gods creation. This fall, I am coming to know bats. I have bats in the belfry (or, more accurately, in Turningthe attic), and they have been slipping into my housepurely by mistake, of course.As I have read on several relevant websites, in August the young bats in the attic start venturing out. They find a hole to make their escape. However, much to their surprise in the case of my home, it leads not to the outside world but to my living room.The immediate solution is to leave a door or window open in the room where the bat is, and then make everything dark and quiet so the bat can hear (bats choose to leave by the open door or window. At the same time, the official Ye navigate by sound waves) where the outdoors is. The hope is that the bat will ar bat-removal people will be getting a call. Bats are protected in my state, so there are official procedures to be followed. I am hopeful we can find a solution that honors both the bats and my need to not have them in the house. Bats can be seen as a nuisance to be dealt with, but like all other living creatures, they are integral to the environment and the ecosystem. They play a key role in controlling insect populations (notably mosquitoes). More than that, bats are Gods creatures and deserve to be respected as such. As the season turns, I cant help but pay attention to the many ways all of creation is impacted by the change from summer to fall. Sometimes I am reminded that we might need to change as well and appreciate all members of Gods creationeven the pesky ones. Let us hope that the bats in my attic find a new home beforethe snow flies. Carpe diem!nSubscribe today! smp.org/inspire 41'