Lucy and I would occasionally hear owls in our neighborhood. Every time we were lucky enough to hear one or more owls, it was in the middle of the night. Last night’s owl solo began at 3:45 am and ended just after 4:00 am. Each species of owl has distinct vocalizations and I am no expert on owls. It took a little digging around at The Owl Pages to figure out my soloist was a Barred Owl, also known as a Hoot Owl. Lucy has a picture of a barred owl taken at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum on her desk.
Owl calls in the middle of the night have spawned legends and old wive’s tales in ancient and modern cultures. The recurring theme is that hearing an owl calling at night means an imminent death. Around 46 years ago, a famous novel and subsequent movie titled “I Heard The Owl Call My Name” used a late night owl call to foretell the death of the book’s hero. We never felt an owl call was ominous, just fascinating. If I were to have believed every superstition I have ever heard, I would not have survived past my third birthday.
I am happy for an accurate weather forecast. I put down triazicide this morning to kill Japanese beetle grubs and I needed rain. It has been lightly raining and drizzling for almost two hours. I am done with my remaining gardening tasks. Perhaps I will mow the lawn on Sunday; it looks like it may need it then.
Yesterday I helped Julie and Dave spread 15 cubic yards of dirt. I know I am feeling it today. What is normally a tedious and hard task was fun (but still hard) because we could joke around and talk.
I spent the weekend with them and really enjoyed myself. They have a beautiful cabin and even though the weather was unseasonably cold and the lakes still had ice, there was still time for a lot of activities. Friday night we went to a bar and entered some raffles. When we left, we were money ahead, with steaks for the grill, and won a couple of free drinks. Dave and his brother, Roger, are quite close and their cabins are about a quarter-mile apart. Roger graciously tolerated my quirks while teaching me how to play Pegs and Jokers. There are many ATV trails in the area and we found time to go for a couple short rides. Even going 20 mph in temperatures stuck in the mid 30s was cold. Sunday morning the weather warmed up and the loons were calling. An eagle made several low passes over the cabin while making a chatter call. There is apparently and active nest in the area.
It was a fun weekend and the natural wonders were spectacular. The highlight of the weekend was watching Julie and Dave interact. They love each other and it shows. Their love radiates a special warmth and was quite soothing. It reminded me of how wonderful my time was with Lucy. Maybe the owl from last night was telling me something.
Give your loved ones meaningful hug and enjoy your time with them. Thanks for sticking with me!