Haunted warm oakn"

The heavy rain made a return engagement, with temperatures in the 50s and a general feeling of April in the air. It's a little early for a true January thaw—that, more traditionally, arrives in the January 20s—but this is precisely the kind of weather we would have at thaw time. During the proper period, it'll probably be snowy and frigid. For today, though, the downpours have kept my granddaughter and me indoors, save for one little break. Towards dusk, I made a quick run outside to see if there were any bats taking advantage of the warmth, but they too were staying inside, perhaps in attics, perhaps in the safety of rock crevices. Bats sometimes even shelter under tree bark, so there just might be a chiropteran residing in this haunted-looking oak. I walked by quickly, but that was more because the rain had picked up in intensity than because of any worry about an attack by winged mammals. Honest.