Guess Whooo's Coming for Dinner?

One of the things I appreciate most about living on this country mile is the amazing wildlife we encounter almost every day.  We've had visits from deer, black bears, coyotes, foxes, jack rabbits, groundhogs, squirrels, mice, shrews ... the list could go on.

The squirrels, mice, and shrews had better watch out now because we have a new visitor lately.  A Great Grey Owl has been dropping down for a visit and to snatch a bite of dinner.  We've seen evidence that at least one shrew in our yard has fallen victim to his razor-sharp talons.

The squire and I have been  hearing an owl in the evenings since last summer but it's only recently that he's been fortunate enough to catch sight of him.

Great Grey's are typically 26 inches tall and can have a wingspan of five feet.  That has to be the definition of terror for a tiny little shrew, like the ones that live in my flowerbeds and eat my perennial bulbs in the winter.  But I wouldn't wish an attack by a Great Grey on any living creature -- except maybe a snake.  Why, oh why, can't Great Grey's eat snakes?  That would make my country mile even more attractive for me.

Once, before we lived here, the squire and I had gone for a quad ride in the Sandilands Provincial Forest and heard and saw a Great Grey swoop over us on the trail we were following.  Then we saw it settle on a tree ahead of us and we got a quick look at its face before it flew off again.

The squire had a good look through the binoculars at the face of the one who visited here this afternoon while I was at work and he says it's exactly like this.  I haven't been fortunate enough to see the creature yet but I'm certainly going to be watching for this majestic creature.

In folklore owls symbolize wisdom, silence, and solitude.  When the the hectic noise and frantic pace of daily life overwhelms us or our words are getting us into trouble, we do well to pay attention to the symbolism of this bird's presence.  In some cultures, if an owl has glided silently into my life it brings me an important message that I need right now.  

Owls are  solitary creatures with the  ability to fly silently and move quietly from perch to perch.  The silence of the owl offers lessons of quiet and poise for my life and invites me to remove myself from the noisiness of life and become a still and silent observer.  Only when I slow down and embrace solitude will I sit in awe at the wealth of meaning that surrounds me.

 On my office wall here at home hangs a plaque which reads "Make time for quiet moments, As God whispers and the world is loud."  Perhaps the owl has entered my life to remind me of that.