“A wise old owl sat on an oak; The more he saw the less he spoke; The less he spoke the more he heard; Why aren't we like that wise old bird?”

Owls are beautiful and mysterious creatures. They are nocturnal, so many people don't even think about them being around. There are plenty of myths about owls- owls were good luck in Greek culture, but bad omens in Romans. We were driving home in the rain, when suddenly, a ghostly white shape swooped in front of the car. Startled, I stepped on the brake to avoid hitting it. My husband exclaimed, "An owl! Back up!" I put the car into reverse and slowly backed up to see a bedraggled Barred Owl with a dead mouse in its beak. It stared at us, wide-eyed for a few moments until we decided to leave it in peace and return home.

What an amazing moment! Nature sometimes can surprise us with beautiful (if deadly) things.