Bats!

As I was walking home a few nights ago from a large meal and a good evening of holy holiday prayer, I encountered a large number of bats ina public park in Jerusalem. I've only seen bats about 5 times in my life and each time was in an urban setting somewhere in Israel. The chirping blasts of the nighttime sonar was strange to my ear. I could barely see them as the whizzed by my head. I stopped and watched them for about a half hour before I walked on and for most of that time, I was not actually sure what they were. They was flying around so fast, I was not able to see them clearly. I thought they might be birds.

I stood there and watch them go by for a long while. They were graceful. It seemed as if their were all waiting in line to go and fly because though there were so many than I couldn't count them all, there never seemed to be more than 3 airborne at any time. I finally was able to follow one with my eye until it stopped in a hanging position under a branch. Once I had confirmed that they were not birds, but rather bats, I was satisfied and I moved on.

There is something magical about little scenes that one can find in a sleeping city. For the entire time I stood there, there was no other sound but the bats. No cars. No people. No noise. It was special for its quiet beauty.