On a late summer afternoon in Red Wing, Minnesota,
we wandered down from our hotel, the historic St. James,
to sit on a bench and watch the Mississippi roll by.
At dusk, the mosquitos arrived,
swarms of them, attacking our pleasure.
 
We got up to return to the hotel. At that moment,
from the cave-like entrance to the parking garage,
flew hundreds of small bats, ready for
their evening feast. We smiled at
the reckoning for the mosquitos.


© by Juliane McAdam.
Used with the author's permission.