Plan the future & reminisce the past (2008.09.13: The Owl)

Today's weather wasn't so nice - dark, gloomy, and rainy, which was fine by me because I have to plan for the future. I accepted a temporary office job in Downtown for the next two months, so it means a shirt and tie everyday starting tomorrow but also means no more biking to the dyke and taking pictures of animals and plants everyday now. I'll still do it during the weekend if the weather permits. I wonder what kind of urban wildlife I can expect in Downtown. Something like this will be amazing.

Since I didn't go out today, I will post about the biking days prior to writing on this blog. The first day that I went biking (after returning back from Taiwan) I saw a beautiful Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus). It must be a sign for something! I was about to go home when I saw a white line on a giant European Beech tree. I thought it was paint before I looked up. And there it was - a large owl sleeping soundly on a branch. I walked quietly around it and started to take some pictures. Moments later, it woke up and stared at me for a while before going back to sleeping. Then my bike fell on the ground loudly. I went to pick it up, but the owl was gone when I turned around. Sad.

It was an unique experience because I was just thinking of what to do with my education and life and then I saw it. A beautiful and magnificent creature that shares its home and life with us humans on this planet, and yet, so few of us notices and appreciates this. Seeing this owl just gives me the strength to do things that I believe in and is passionate about. So I would like to thank this owl for being there at the right time and place.

Now, whenever I go biking by the dyke, I stop by that tree every time to see if the owl is still sleeping there and think about the short (but important) moment that we shared.
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