Magical Moments

This Barred Owl has adopted our property on the lake as its home. It sleeps in a tree about twenty feet above our bedroom window and, I swear, it follows me around the yard. Yesterday, I worked most of the day. But I did arrive home in time for a jaunt through the woods to see if I could spot a few edible mushrooms for a risotto. With my eyes carefully scanning the ground, I heard the rustle of a few leaves behind me. When I spun around, the owl was a short distance behind me on a tree limb at my eye level. It was a magical sight. The forest was quite thick and dark from the abundant foliage but a small barrel of light through the trees made the bird appear almost as a mythical creature. Before I ever pulled up my camera, I sat for a few minutes and observed his amazing eyes and his deeply mottled feathering. Eventually, I pulled the lens to my eye and the clack of the shutter startled the bird. He flew into the thicket of the pine trees near by but stayed "with me" the entire time I was in the woods. The next morning, he sat in the limb of a tree directly over our deck while I had breakfast. Perhaps his presence will make me "as wise as an owl." I feel as though I could use a bit more wisdom lately in the matters of my days.

Three weeks ago, I had only seen a barred owl from a distance of several hundred feet and now this one is following me around and has been within a few yards of me several times in one weekend. And after having a Saturday filled unexpectedly with work, I needed a magical moment to get my spirits back a bove ground level. The wonder of Mother Nature always seems to wow me exactly at the right time.