Weekly Green Leisure: All Green Round-Up Jan 12th-23rd
It is time to share with you one of my oddest phobias: I’m spooked by things that can fly. The concept of having a bird for a pet just seems strange me, though my boyfriend assures me that it is quite enjoyable.
I think the phobia comes from the fact that, well, they can fly and I can’t - it gives them an advantage. Yeah, I know the chance of them doing anything to harm me is slim to nil, but still … they have power!
Even with this random avoidance, I’ve had a strong curiosity about owls for as long as I can remember. Originally, I believe the appreciation comes from their consistent portraiture as wise beings. The barn owl in this entry’s picture makes his home at Connecticut’s Earthplace - one of the two exciting outdoor opportunities in the Nutmug State that I wrote about this past week. His all-black eyes are free of emotion but his heart-shaped face warms my soul.
Protect, Preserve, Enjoy Connecticut at Earthplace - “Making learning fun sounds like a bit of an oxymoron. Visiting a museum can sometimes be boring for both kids and adults but many of us feel somewhat obligated to walk through. One private non-profit in Westport was established to help educate and preserve …”
Meet Connecticut’s Rare Species during an Audubon Society Day Trip - “Between long days at the office, running errands and after school activities, it is easier than ever to loose touch with the natural world. Not associated with the National Audubon Society (whose Connecticut branch was established in 1941), the Connecticut Audubon Society …”
January 23rd, 2008 at 8:15 pm
And of all the flying things that are a little spooky, the owl has got to be near the top of the list. I was getting my mail recently at the bottom of a hill that leads up to my neighborhood when I saw one of my neighbors transfixed on the upper branches of a tree. Up in that tree was a very big owl. Now, I’m no ornithologist, but it was either a Western Screech Owl or a Great Horned Owl. Either way, it kind of scared the crap out of me. The fact that they can spin their heads almost all the way around is a little too reminiscent of the whole Exorcism thing.
You wanna be freaked out by flying things? Go visit Florida some time during a hatching of the Palmetto Bug. On second thoughts, don’t.
Just thinking about thousands of those 2-4″ bugs flying all around me and getting stuck in my hair, jumping up my pant legs, and dropping down my shirt gives me a solid case of the willies (and that was a very long time ago). I think I’m still scarred.