Joe dirt and I were planned to go out this morning to try to catch the big brown at the Marshal Creek bridge. I got up at 3:45am. I have a ritual I go through on putting on gear.

I get completely dressed and put my boots on last. My boots usually reside outside on the porch by my "Take Off The Boots Chair". My wife hates filthy wet boots put on in her kitchen carpet and usually the boots smell of stream mud.

The final thing was to put on the boots. I had not been out for 2 days and the boots were dry. I picked both up and whacked them together to get rid of some of the mud. In the house I went to wash them off and make the boots wet so they are easier to put on.

I filled up both boots and washed off the outside of the boots. This usually doesn't take long and I am at the kitchen table putting on my boots. The left one went on and I snugged up the laces. I grabbed the right one and opened it up to slide my foot in and I heard squeaking. I ran outside with the boot. I threw the boot on the porch.......


OUT crawled a big old bat.....I don't believe that would have felt good sliding my foot in to on top of.

PS: fishing was poor this morning.