Toward evening yesterday, we heard a raucous disturbance among the flock of blue jays occupying a blue spruce at the edge of the yard. We looked out to find the jays dive bombing a row of arbor vitae. About halfway up one of the shrubs was what we later concluded was a western screech owl. It wasn’t screeching, just peering out of its refuge looking unconcerned and, of course, wise. Owls are so infrequent in our neighborhood that I took a picture through the window with an inadequate point-and-shoot camera. Digitally enlarged, the section of the photo with the owl in the bush took on a sort of pointillist character. Posting this, I considered finding appropriate music to go with it: “Owl Be Seeing You†or “Owl Be Around,†perhaps. But that would be unforgivably corny, wouldn’t it?
