OK, So There Was This Owl......

111 degrees!!!!! at the Western Edge
This was on July 7th...the hottest daytime temperature my old body
has ever experienced!

Have you been wondering where I've been?  Have you asked, "why don't she write?"   What may have happened (and I'm not really offering any excuses here) is that the creative juices in my brain were temporarily evaporated into creative gas in this insane July heat.

 (kinda embarrassing)  

Now that it's cooled down slightly (97 degrees today), I can feel the gas condensing back into juice form.  The condensation isn't complete....so I'm gonna show some pictures instead of trying to be all poetic with imagery and stuff....

Ok, so yesterday, on our way to check on the bottom alfalfa field, Cowboy, Princess and I spotted this gorgeous creature:  the barred owl.  I usually only hear his call.  It goes a little something like this: ahem 

"Who cooks for you?  Who cooks for you all?"

My usual answer is, "I do all the cooking 'round here!"

He is just sitting on the path to the bottom field

I can't believe he's letting me get this close!

I'm close enough to pet him!  Too bad I'm afraid to.

All my previous brushes with owl greatness have been sighting one in a treetop while I'm flying down the road in my truck. This was such an incredible opportunity.  With my best (but seriously lame) Steve Irwin impersonation:  "He is a real beauty!  Crikey, just look at him!  There you go, mate."

He stayed in that place for several minutes before flying off or hiding in the woods.  I have no earthly explanation for his broad daylight visit.  Perhaps he knew of my long-time love of owls that stretches all the way back to elementary school.  Whatever the reason, I feel completely honored to have seen him "up close and personal."

Ok then we went to the alfalfa field...blah blah blah...it's just beginning to bloom again...it'll need to be baled again....I'll get to drive the tractor again.....yadda yadda yadda (I'm truly excited about that...it's just a little anticlimactic after meeting Hooty)

This will be the 4th cutting on this alfalfa field!!!

But did you see that owl?!!!!!