Sunday, June 13, 2010

Into The Trees

There was a frightful racket in the trees out behind us early this morning. I stumbled out of bed to see what was going on. From the window, I could see crows circling one particular pine tree, flapping their wings and squawking like fishwives. What was their problem? Didn't they know it was Sunday morning and people might want to sleep in, for heaven's sake?

And then I saw him.



The cause of their distress. A huge big owl, sitting on a high branch, imperturbable, while the crows circled and squawked. I grabbed the OC's field glasses and headed out to have a closer look.

The picture isn't very clear, but enough, I think, to give you the general idea. He could have had those crows for lunch. He just wasn't hungry. He certainly didn't look under-nourished! I watched through the glasses while he groomed himself. He looked like a baby bear sitting up there, confident that when he did feel a pang of hunger, there was a smorgasbord of little rodents available for the snatching in the brush down below. He lifted a leg at one point, and when I saw those massive talons, I was glad I wasn't a little rodent......



I've been making snails' trails blocks for a quilting project. I need to make forty of them [I know---what on earth was I thinking??] I've been a little obsessive about reaching number forty, sewing, sewing, day and night. Not healthy. Hunched over the sewing machine, muttering.....bubble, bubble, toil and trouble, 15, 16, 17, 18, ......[I got to #24 today!] So, to blow the cobwebs from my brain, I went along on a Little White Balls hitting expedition later in the afternoon.

I have a limited capacity for concentrating on watching people hitting Little White Balls, so it wasn't too long until my attention wandered.

This fellow helped.



He was up a nearby tree, chattering like a thing possessed, so I went to investigate. He looked down at me indignantly and launched into a long and involved rant, with much tail twitching and bristling of whiskers. He was very upset at having his peaceful afternoon shattered by men arriving to hit Little White Balls.
He'd been in the middle of a lovely nap when the first whack disturbed his slumbers.



"Don't you people have homes to go to?"




"It's Sunday afternoon, for Pete's sake! You'd think a fellow could take a little nap without having to worry he'll be whacked out of his tree by lunatics hitting Little White Balls!"

And so it goes.

The circle of Life.

15 comments:

Relatively Retiring said...

What a great community you have around you!

Pauline said...

no peace anywhere ;)

Lone Grey Squirrel said...

Must be nice having such interesting neighbours.

Friko said...

Is that hy I haven't seen you around, you've been needleworking.

Love your creatures up trees. When a flock of crows or rooks creates a ruckus round here it is usually because they are mobbing a buzzard or two, serenely sailing on the currents and paying very little attention to them The crows are often successful in diverting the buzzards from their flight path, perhaps they just can't stand the racket.

Kacey said...

How lovely to have you back in the blogasphere! I haven't kept up my end of the bargain, but have all sorts of excuses. Drove home from Florida, married off one grandson, spent five days in Philly getting another grandson graduated from Penn Law and moved out of his fourth floor apartment (no elevator). Then there are all the various and sundry doctor's and dentist's appointments and last, but not least a misterable bout with bronchitis. I think I'll have to start blogging again or explode....and I have a couple of quilts all slashed and whacked and in need of sewing. Summers are wonderful, aren't they?

Ali Honey said...

Missed You!

Enjoyed your brother gardening - send him here next please.
Not a golfer then?

Anonymous said...

If that were here, we'd be looking at a Koala.

I did NOT know owls grew that big! Gorgeous!

Anonymous said...

Wow! LOOK at that owl!!! Neat-o. ; )

Thimbleanna said...

Hahaha -- you're so funny. You have your neighbors and Isabelle has hers and they're all causing a ruckus. Maybe Isabelle needs to take your lead and go do some disturbing of her own! Good Luck with the quilt blocks!

Pam said...

I like your indignant little furry chap - but what is he? He looks like a squirrel but he's not grey, which I thought your pesky squirrels, which someone imported here and which are ousting our native red ones, were like. Mysterious....

Warty Mammal said...

I'm glad I don't understand squirrel language. I'm pretty sure that when they flick their tails and chitter loudly, they're spouting out some pretty foul, colorful profanity.

Stomper Girl said...

I love owls. But I'm very surprised you weren't fascinated by the hitting of small white balls Molly, most surprised indeed.

SmitoniusAndSonata said...

I'm not surprised Squirrel's had enough . That "toc , toc , swear word , rummage in deep bag on wheels for another stick , toc, sigh " can be mildly irritating .
And have you seen their clothes !!!

marciamayo said...

Hi Molly, I found you via Friko. I love what you have at the top of your blog - the part about writing helping you to figure out what you are thinking and your blog for having a place to store it. My thoughts exactly.
I envy your ability with a camera. All my photos have my thumb in them.

secret agent woman said...

At first glance, I thought that owl was a monkey.

How cool - I love spotting owls and I've always thought it is funny that squirrels lecture the way they do.