By Ann Asher

Bats have never had the best public relations team.

They come out at dusk, fly in quick, uneven patterns and have spent too many years being tied to scary movies, old barns and Halloween decorations. For a lot of people, the first reaction to seeing a bat is not appreciation. It is usually something closer to ducking, squealing or hurrying back inside.

But out in the real world, especially across Texas, bats are doing quiet work most of us never see.

While we are closing gates, turning off barn lights, watering the last few plants or heading toward the house for the evening, bats are just getting started. Many of the bats found in Texas feed on insects, including moths, beetles and other night-flying insects.

That makes them part of the natural system working across farms, ranches, ponds, creeks, barns and backyards after dark.

For farmers and ranchers, that matters. Insects are not just a backyard nuisance. They can affect crops, gardens, livestock comfort and the general balance of the outdoors. Bats are not a cure-all, and they are not going to wipe out every mosquito or pest insect on a place, but they are beneficial wildlife. They eat at night, when many birds and other daytime predators are no longer active, which gives them a different role in the landscape.

One of the biggest misconceptions about bats is that they are blind. They are not.

Many bats use echolocation to help them find insects and move through the night, but that does not mean they cannot see. Another old fear is that bats want to fly into people’s hair. They do not. A bat flying low or

That said, bats are still wild animals. They should be respected, not handled.

Rabies is the main safety concern people think of with bats, and it is a serious one. Not every bat has rabies, but any bat that is found on the ground, acting strangely, unable to fly or found inside a home should be treated with caution.

No one should ever pick up a bat with bare hands. If a person or pet may have been bitten or scratched, or if there is any chance of contact while someone was sleeping, local health officials or animal control should

close is usually chasing insects or trying to navigate away, not looking for trouble.

be contacted for guidance.

Common sense goes a long way. Keep pets vaccinated. Teach children not to touch wildlife. If a bat gets into a house, do not panic, but do not ignore it either. Close off the area if possible, keep people and pets away, and contact the appropriate local professionals if there is any concern about exposure.

Around farms and ranches, bats may roost in trees, bridges, barns, old buildings or other sheltered places.

Sometimes that is not a problem. Other times, especially if bats are entering living spaces or heavily used work areas, they may need to be excluded.

Timing matters. In some

For landowners, the goal does not have to be turning the place into a bat sanctuary. It can simply mean understanding that bats have a job to do. They are part of the same outdoor world as songbirds, pollinators, frogs, owls, deer and the insects we notice whether we want to or not.

They are also a good reminder that not everything useful is pretty, popular or easy to appreciate at first glance.

Some of the hardest-working creatures on a farm or ranch are the ones we barely see. Bats do not ask for attention. They do not announce themselves in daylight. They simply take the night shift.

So, the next time you see one dipping and turning through the evening sky, maybe resist the urge to think of it as something spooky.

Think of it as a neighbor clocking in after dark.

Not a pet. Not a monster. Just wildlife doing its work while the rest of us head inside.

cases, sealing an opening at the wrong time can trap young bats inside or create a bigger issue. Wildlife professionals or Extension resources can help property owners understand the safest and most responsible way to handle a bat colony in a structure.

Some people choose to put up bat houses, and they can be a good option when placed correctly.

However, a bat house is not a guarantee that bats will move in. Location, height, sun exposure, temperature and nearby habitat all matter. Natural roosting areas are also important, which is why dead trees, wooded edges, water sources and undisturbed spaces can play a role in supporting bat populations.

By Ada William

A few weeks ago in church, our preacher shared a line that has stayed with me ever since.

“If you’re wondering what door to walk through, pray in the hallway.”

He was quoting someone else, but I did not catch the original source. I did, however, catch the message.

Most of us have found ourselves standing in that hallway at one time or another. We know something is changing, but we do not know what comes next.

There may be several doors in front of us, and none of them are clearly marked. We ask God to show us which one to open, but the answer does not always come as quickly as we would like.

Waiting is hard. People who live and work in rural communities understand waiting better than most. Farming, ranching and caring for animals require patience. You can prepare the ground, plant the seed and pray for rain, but you cannot force a crop to grow overnight. You can breed the best mare to the best stallion, provide good feed and proper care, and still wait nearly a year to see the foal. You can put up hay, repair fences and prepare barns, but you cannot control what kind of winter is coming.

There is a great deal of faith involved in rural life.

You do your part, and then you wait.

Of course, waiting does not mean doing nothing. A farmer does not plant a field and then ignore it until harvest. There are weeds to control, equipment to maintain and weather forecasts to watch.

A rancher waiting for a calf crop still checks cattle, watches the condition of the cows and

makes sure the calving pasture is ready.

The waiting season has work of its own.

I think the same is true when we are waiting on God to show us what comes next. Praying in the hallway is not simply standing still and staring at the doors. It is using that time to draw closer to God, listen carefully and prepare ourselves for whatever He may ask us to do.

Sometimes I want an immediate answer. I want God to make the right door obvious, open it wide and place a large sign above it that says, “This way.”

That is not usually how it works.

Sometimes the hallway lasts

longer than we expected. A job opportunity does not come through. A relationship changes. A plan we felt certain about falls apart. A prayer appears to go unanswered.

It can be tempting to grab the nearest doorknob simply because we are tired of waiting.

Anyone who has worked cattle knows that pushing too hard at the wrong time usually creates more trouble. Cattle move better when the handler pays attention to pressure, timing and position. There are moments to step forward and moments to back away. Trying to force movement before the path is clear can scatter the whole herd.

I have had times in my own

life when I tried to force a door open because I was convinced it was the one I needed. Other times, I hesitated to step through a door because it was not the one I had pictured.

Looking back, I can see that some closed doors were protection. Some delays were preparation. Some unanswered prayers were answered differently than I expected.

That does not mean waiting becomes easy. It simply means the hallway is not wasted space.

The hallway may be where God changes our plans. It may be where He strengthens our faith, corrects our attitude or teaches us to depend on Him instead of our own understanding.

It may be where we finally become quiet enough to hear what He has been saying all along.

Rural life teaches us that there is a season for everything. There is a time to plant and a time to harvest. There is a time to mend fence and a time to move cattle. There is a time to work, a time to wait and a time to trust that what we cannot see is still being handled.

When the right door opens, we may understand why the others remained closed. We may also never fully understand, at least not in this life.

Either way, we can trust the One who sees beyond the hallway.

So, when I find myself unsure of what comes next, I hope I remember the words I heard that Sunday morning.

I may not know which door to walk through.

I may not know when it will open.

But I know what I can do while I wait.

I can pray in the hallway.

By NTFR Staff

Every summer it seems to happen. The garden suddenly produces more tomatoes, cucumbers and green beans than anyone could possibly eat, and before long the question comes up: “Maybe I should learn to can.”

For many families, canning is a tradition that has been passed down for generations. For others, it’s a new hobby that offers the satisfaction of stocking pantry shelves with homegrown food. Either way, getting started can feel overwhelming. Pressure canners, boiling water baths, jars, lids, processing times and safety recommendations are enough to make anyone wonder where to begin.

The good news is that home canning isn’t difficult once you understand the basics.

The first thing to know is that canning is simply the process of preserving food in sealed jars by heating them to destroy microorganisms and create a vacuum seal. There are only two USDA- approved methods for home canning: boiling water bath canning and pressure canning. Which one you use depends entirely on what you’re preserving.

A boiling water bath is exactly what it sounds like. Filled jars are completely submerged in boiling water and processed for a specific amount of time. Because boiling water only reaches 212 degrees Fahrenheit at sea level, this method is safe only for foods that are naturally high in acid or have enough added acid to prevent dangerous bacteria from growing.

That makes water bath canning perfect for jams, jellies, fruit preserves, pickles, chutneys, fruit butters and many tomato products that have the proper amount of bottled lemon

juice or citric acid added according to a tested recipe.

Pressure canning works differently. By trapping steam inside a sealed canner, the temperature climbs well above the boiling point of water, reaching approximately 240 degrees. That higher temperature is necessary to destroy Clostridium botulinum spores, which can survive ordinary boiling and produce

the toxin that causes botulism.

Because of that, low-acid foods such as green beans, corn, carrots, potatoes, meats, poultry, seafood and soups must be pressure canned. Using a boiling water bath for these foods simply isn’t safe, regardless of how long the jars are boiled.

So which method is best for someone just getting started?

For most beginners, water

bath canning is the easiest place to begin. The equipment is less expensive, the process is more straightforward and recipes like strawberry jam or dill pickles are forgiving enough to build confidence. Many people who enjoy preserving fruit eventually decide to purchase a pressure canner once they want to preserve vegetables or homemade stock.

That doesn’t mean pressure canning should be intimidating. Modern pressure canners include multiple built-in safety features and are far different from the old stories many people heard about exploding canners decades ago. Like any

kitchen tool, they’re safe when used according to the manufacturer’s directions and with tested recipes.

No matter which method you choose, one rule never changes: always use recipes that have been scientifically tested. While

family recipes may taste wonderful when served fresh, they aren’t always safe for canning. Changing ingredient amounts, thickening soups with flour, adding extra vegetables or reducing vinegar can all affect the safety of the finished product. The USDA and the National Center for Home Food Preservation remain the gold standards for home canning recipes and processing recommendations.

It’s also important to remember that today’s recommendations aren’t necessarily the same ones your grandparents followed. Research has improved over the years, and food safety recommendations have changed with it. Methods like open-kettle canning, oven canning and sealing jars by simply turning them upside down are no longer considered safe for shelf-stable foods.

If you’ve never canned before,

don’t feel like you have to preserve an entire garden your first weekend. Start with one recipe. Learn how to prepare the jars, measure headspace, remove air bubbles and process them correctly. Once you hear that

satisfying “ping” as the lids seal, you’ll understand why so many people find canning rewarding.

There’s something special about opening a jar of peaches in January or serving homemade salsa long after the tomatoes are

gone. With a little knowledge, the right equipment and a commitment to following tested recipes, anyone can enjoy the satisfaction of preserving the harvest safely for months to come.