The Owl Whisperer?

So, I'm out for a morning run today. I did about a mile of cross country and then headed into the forest for some of Grandfather's "gymnastics". I slowed to the speed of a quiet fox, just to catch my breath and enjoy the life of the birdsong around me. Now, usually when I run into owls, I literally almost run into them and they fly off before I see them. So, it was good today to see this beauty before he flew. His path was my path and so I began to move slowly in his direction. I approached the 50 ft. mark and was somewhat surprised that he remained. But, given the type of owl she is, I allowed that to drift from my thoughts. I continued to approach and closed in on the 10 ft. mark. Here he is sitting so calmly atop a tree stump, as tall as me. She would turn her head away, listening to the dog barking and turn back to me. The eyes, oh the eyes, would bore right through me. Intense yellow. Knowing. I spoke "owl" to her as I drifted, explaining and intending to simply pass by. But as I neared, I knew that I could touch her. I neared her stump, down to 3 ft. As she turned her head away, my hand inched closer. After several slow minutes, I lay my hand on her back and felt her whisper soft feathers. She spun her head around, looking first at my hand on her back and then turned to look into my eyes. My heart raced as we mingled. I withdrew my hand and she stretched, fully two feet high. And he hopped down, gliding somewhat clumsily to the forest floor. And it was then that I realized she had a broken wing. I removed my hoodie and after another slow approach, she let me cover her and bring her home. In the end, she was taken to the wildlife rehab center. I will check on his status this week.

God put a little piece of himself in every animal, plant and living creature. Not sure about the mosquito, but all the rest have something immensely deep and wise to teach about their creator. I am grateful for the time I spent learning about God today.

I told my good friend, Darb, the story of catching this beautiful creature. He thought I was telling him a joke! Laughs on him when I get to the end of the story and he sees I'm serious! So, he called me the "owl whisperer"! I laughed.