Not my painting – but in public domain. However, it looks quite a bit like the big bird I just spent half an hour walking around underneath. I live in the coolest place in the world – have I mentioned that lately?
Sitting at the computer, looking at some wonderful new vintage porn images, and the dogs keep barking. When they aren’t barking, I’m hearing something else. I’m not sure – but it sounds like an owl hooting.
So I step out to the living room, shush the dogs and listen. Actually, it is two Great Horned Owls hooting back and forth at each other – one on each side of the house. Quietly, I creep around the house turning off lights so I can see outside. It’s dark – but we have a full moon. Here in the desert the full moon is so light and clear it is almost as bright as daylight. The difference is everything is subtly blue tinted, and shadows have edges like a knife, and are blacker than black.
I can see one of the owls outside the kitchen window. At least, I think that’s what is at the top of that tall dead tree. The two of them hoot back and forth some more and one is loud and resonant, right outside. I quietly step outside the back door. Niles (our grey and white barn cat) is on the covered part of the porch outside of the door. I counsel him to stay there – the Great Horned Owls here are notorious for carrying off barn cats.
Stepping out the door to the porch, I hear Niles purring and following me. He’s staying right under my feet. I let my eyes adjust for a moment, and scan the ground where I plan to walk carefully. It’s pretty cold at night, but it never hurts to be sure nothing else is stalking where I plan to be walking – like a rattlesnake. The coast is clear – and the owls are hooting again. I tiptoe off the porch and around to the dead tree. Yes, that’s him – right up on the very top. I see the glint of his eyeshine as he looks down at me. Niles is now being very quiet and still, right at my feet. I walk a circle around the tree, trying to get the moon at my back and enough of an angle to really see the owl. As his head turns to watch me, I catch orangey glints from his eyes. He probably would be long gone except he is easily twice as high as the roof of the house – probably 30 feet straight up. I finally get to a place where the moons light is hitting him and out of my eyes. It’s such a traditional picture suddenly, the full moon shining down on this magnificent owl at the very top of a dead tree. I can see his big strong feet – they look fuzzy from here because of the feathers over them.
I don’t want to disturb him, so I pick up Niles and snuggle him under my poncho. He cuddles – it’s cold out there. As I begin walking quietly around the house to see if I can find the owl out front I hear clearly the sound of claws on the roof. Looking up quickly, I catch movement in time to see the barred underside of the owl as he spreads his wings and speeds noiselessly away into the sky. In seconds, he has vanished. I wait a few minutes. No more hooting. I take a few steps around back to see if the owl is still there – no, he is gone, too.
I stand under the full moon for a few minutes, soaking in what I’ve just seen and heard. Niles begins to squirm. He has barn cat stuff to be doing. He wants down. I put him on the front porch – where it is covered, just in case. As I start in, my husband is starting out. He’s disappointed he missed the owls.
He makes us some hot chocolate.
Life is good.
