Tawny Owl in a Beech tree...& Iching#53

            At the sorry age of eleven, I stole a Tawny Owl,

 from a Beech tree.  At the time I was confined to Hawkhurst Court Prep School. 

the school...

            A Gothic manse with Jerry-built huts to train Candian troops now dorms for twin rows of boys.  I snuck out with Crighton & Clark, somehow we found the great Beech tree - we were scared pissless the mother would find us & rip our faces off.  Mine pissed when I put it in my shirt – I shinned down the Beech, ran back to the dorm and put the wee Owl in my tuck box.  Taught it to hunt & fly, I caught hundreds of mice for it and had it one precious year – then I was sent to Canada & had to leave it behind in Norfolk with Aunt Maonie.

             Ever since I have had Owls around. 

            When we came here to this house under Crotched Mountain in 2001, the couple who lived here before told us a strange story, once we knew each other well.  They told how they found just the head of a Barred Owl in the upper meadow – eyes on the house.
            It took nine months, being led, to find this place under Crotched mountain: that was our familiar flying ahead, showing the way.

            Here is video of Barred Owl calling: who cooks for you…

who cooks for you...

            And you don't need to know Japanese to love this Owl:

this owl WILL make you laugh..

The way that Beech tree looked:

           I threw the Iching for this blog and came up with #53 Chien - it is about inner peace and outward penetration - it is about the slow build - it is about Geese mating for life: it certainly fits adversity and maintaining inner calm.

I Ching : 53. IChin / Development (Gradual Progress)

     Seen any wildlife?