Hooting

I put off leaving the house today for as long as I could.

I invited Cindy to join the dog walk this morning, did another couple of loads of laundry, napped, and finally saw fit to venture out. I only managed to make myself by including a trip to the bookstore which is next to the grocery store.

As I opened the car door, I heard the "whoo-whoo, who, who." of the local owl. I saw him once in a tree over the creek, enormous, sitting on a branch near the trunk of the tree.

Again as I got out groceries: whoo-whoo, who...who.

And as I got to the front door, a more muffled whoorgh-whoorgh, whoomp.

It's so evocative. Is he calling for a mate? Is he warning his prey? Is he feeling good?

In the damp, cool, misty night it's easy to imagine it's a solitary, plaintive cry.