Owl

I am so proud of my owl that I am posting him everywhere and what a perfect place to keep him permanently, but on my blog. I was driving down a backwoods, dirt road between Middlebury and Woodbury, Connecticut, when I saw a large bird fly down from an embankment and perch onto a tree branch close to the road. I slowed down, assuming that it was a hawk as they are so prevalent around here. As I got to the bird, I saw that it wasn't a hawk; it was an owl! I slammed on my brakes, pulled the car off the road as far as I could, rolled down the window, leaned over the passenger-side seat in ungodly contorted positions, and started snapping pictures with my iPhone, hoping that I was keeping it steady enough. My heart was beating heavily and my hands were shaking. Damn me for not carrying my camera with me at ALL times.

I was already late for an appt, so I couldn't stay there snapping any more pictures. I took off with anticipation of getting to my destination so that I could quickly view my pictures. To my utter dismay, there was no owl. How could this be? He was RIGHT THERE, not 20 feet from the car. With all the action of stopping the car and rolling down the window, he just stood there staring at me. How could he not be in the picture????

After my appointment, I got home and downloaded the picture to my PC. I blew it up to 100%, 150%, 200%. I searched every single inch of the photo and could not see the owl. The only conclusion I came to was that I was too far off to the right or left. I told a friend of mine and she said, "Are you sure it wasn't an apparition?" I was sure. I know I saw it. I know I saw it land. I know I saw it turn its head away and then back and stare at me. I know what I saw.

I looked at that picture every day for four days, searching ... searching .... searching .... when today, I FOUND IT! Can it be? Is this really it or did I want to see it so bad that I was imagining it? I e-mailed it to a few friends who confirmed that it was there. I also cropped it and posted it on Facebook. A few other people saw it, too, so I know, now, that it is no apparition. I got the snapshot of a lifetime.

Can you see it? It's just up and to the right of dead center