Owls and Orchids

A Powerful Owl sitting on a tree branch

 Ralph Waldo Emerson quote

It is recognised that when something happens in threes it is a sign, or an indication that we need to pay attention to what is happening – there is a message there for us, if we can but read or hear it.

Traveling home from visiting friends tonight I was surprised and pleased to see a beautiful Powerful Owl sitting in the fork of a tree, calmly watching what we were doing.  I think we were rather too large for a meal, but the careful and considered look he gave me was enough to make me stop and wonder – was he trying to simply be noticed or was he trying to tell me something? Perhaps it was as simple as his next meal, which was hiding nearby as he was waiting for us to leave, but I had a feeling there was more to his impressive gaze than that. The question was – what?

image from mtnmatthews.blogspot.com

Driving along the country roads I was keeping an eye out for the “Kangawallafoxes” as my husband calls them. In other words the kangaroos, wallabies or foxes which are known to suddenly hop pr run out of the scrub along the side of the road. It can be a nasty surprise and make your journey come to a crashing halt!

However, it was not one of the usual creatures which caused the sudden startled intake of breath this night, it was the sudden and of course silent swoop of an owl across the road directly in front of us. He was beautiful and it would have been a glorious picture, but since I wasn’t thinking about taking a photo, I didn’t have the camera ready. It looked very similar to the photo I found, but it hardly captures the surprise I felt at seeing him.  So that was number two for the evening, and a very impressive reminder that something must be afoot. What was I supposed to be aware of and what was I missing?

We have quite a few owls around our place and I love hearing them call at different times, and I have been lucky enough to see them, although usually without a camera.  We were almost home when a huge owl suddenly seemed to swoop up towards the car, hitting the windscreen cleanly in the middle. He slid off the side and we pulled frantically off to the other side of the road so we wouldn’t hit him by accident.

He lay there on the road and I was amazed at how large he looked close up. It was another Powerful Owl. I felt awful at hitting him, even though we hadn’t actually driven into him, more he flew into us – but then the effect was the same. Being extra careful of those deadly talons and beak we wrapped him in a thick blanket from the car and carried him to the grass at the side if the road where we could see him in the headlights.  After carefully unwrapping him it was difficult to see if he was injured at all. There was definitely no blood, the blanket ( a pale one) was clean and there didn’t appear to be any blood on his feathers. At least there was no glistening tell-tale marks on his feather which we could see.

Powerful Owl takes off as though nothing has happened.

He suddenly seemed to give himself a shake and was on his feet in a flash. He looked around at us, measuring us up for a meal I wondered? Then after what seemed an age but was probably barely minutes, he fluffed his feathers and took off into the night, apparently none the worse for his crash landing with our car.

Not so our windscreen which had a crack completely down the middle!  So, three visits in one evening. Far too much for sheer coincidence, but I have yet to work out what their message is.  As for an exciting end to the evening, it most definitely was.

Our usual view of the Powerful Owl at home. Beautiful isn’t he?

For me this was a special occasion, one to be mindful of as I sit under a full moon, pondering what new beginnings this portent means. I am being present with the spirits who are sending me this messenger, so full of love that this has happened. I am indeed grateful that life is so full of wonderful and unexpected surprises. I am truly blessed tonight.

 Charles Dickens quotes 

Here’s hoping you are as lucky as I and I can work out what my owl visitors are telling me.  Happy Full Moon people.