And here is Cowboy barking loud at the mangy shadow. I grab a flashlight and rush out to him hoping to get him away from the animal. I don't want him bit (he has a bad or stupid habit of getting into mischief with wildlife -- he's tried to make friends with porcupines twice and once with a rattlesnake -- none went well).
I got about ten feet from the shadow.
This was no raccoon. It was a Great Horned Owl standing on our driveway. It wasn't afraid of Cowboy in the least.
Somehow, I convinced Cowboy to leave (or maybe it was Winston's beak and talons). I figured the guy must be hurt because why was he just sitting there. I told him hello (keeping my distance). And then, I thought, if he's hurt maybe he's hungry. Maybe he wants a hotdog.
So, I rush back inside for a pack of hotdogs (quite excited -- I love the thought of helping God's creatures).
When I get back, Winston is gone.
I was kind of disappointed. There goes my dream of befriending an owl. But then I was happy because it meant he could still fly.
About two hours later I look outside my window and there's Winston! He's perched on an old stump that sits in the middle of our yard. I open the window and say hello! It is late morning. He sits there for several minutes.
I get a picture -- not a great picture -- which you can see below these words:
Isn't he handsome? He could be a she. I have no idea.
Anyway, that was thrilling -- a true gift from God I could never have expected. I mean, who gets a Great Horned Owl staring at them through their window?
I think it's cool.
I figure that is it. Two times talking to an owl is more than most people get!
Next morning, he is sitting on my chair in the yard! Just perched there.
I think he must have been there for hours. I go ahead and take my walk. He still is perched on my chair when I get back. I say hello again. I thank him for his appearance.
I haven't seen him since, but Shannon saw him Wednesday night on the driveway. We believe he is a juvenile because some of his feathers are fuzzy still.
"So, my very dear friends, don’t get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light." James 1:16 MSG