Owl Post

She must have drifted off, because the next thing she knew an
explosion of cawing with a barking finish brought her sitting
straight up.
“What was that?”
“Owl. Go back to sleep.”
“An owl? Owls don’t sound like that, they make a ‘hoot’
sound. I have heard owls in England! That sounds like a wild,
monster dog in the trees!”
“It’s an owl. Do not let your imagination run away with you.”
“How do you know it is not a panther?”
Jack sat up and scrubbed his hands over his face. “Sophia, I
have heard panthers and I have heard owls. That is an owl. You
insisted I accompany you on this lunatic treasure hunt because I
know the land. I know a hawk from a handsaw and an owl from a
panther. Now, go to sleep!”
“Do not blame me if we are nothing but bones by morning,”
Sophia grumbled, but she lay down beside him again, snuggling
closer. He rolled over and fitted himself to her, spoon fashion.
After a few moments she said, “You are not asleep.”
“Yes, I am.”
“No, you are not. You are poking me from behind.”
“I can do that in my sleep.”
Something made a sound, a high-pitched bark. It didn’t sound
like it was coming from Jack, behind her.
“What was that?”
“Panther."

--The Bride and the Buccaneer


Twice this month I've looked out my kitchen window shortly after dawn and seen a good sized Barred Owl standing in the backyard. It takes off in the same direction into the woods behind our house, so it's likely nesting back there. This spring they were quite raucous. More than once I'd be awakened at 2 a.m. or so by owls having a noisy conversation out there, but they seem to have calmed down.

When my diva dachshund was a pup I wouldn't let her go in the backyard by herself until she got to be over 10 pounds. Between the owls and the hawks, she just looked too tempting for the local predator population. Our yard is fenced so I don't worry too much about coyotes, but the raptors like hanging around here, so I didn't want to take chances.

If Miss Owl keeps showing up, maybe I can train her to carry messages to Hogwarts for me.