Friday, May 3, 2013

Look Hoo's Back!

You may recall our run in with an owl - in our living room - last year. You might also recall how that same owl raised a nest of baby owls in a tree right outside our living room window. Read about it here and here. It was amazing. I enjoyed every second of watching them peak out of their hole and cautiously and clumsily take to flight.

Then, just like that, they were gone. Grown up and gone and we were empty nesters. Literally.

My evening owl entertainment left a void in my evening repertoire. Even knowing that the owls wouldn't be there, I'd check every once in a while just in case.

So imagine my surprise when I posted up on the couch Tuesday night to fold heaps of laundry and relax in front of the 'boob tube'. Court was at a dinner meeting, the girls were asleep so I was settling in for some me time. Just me, the laundry and the ...and just like last time, I could feel the eyes upon me. I swear I knew she was there even before I looked up. She met my stare with confidence - unblinking - and for the second time in just days, I cried.



The owl - other than bringing the girls home and watching them grow - has been one of my most cherished memories of this house and I wanted to see her one more time before we moved.

Yes, you are reading that correctly. We are moving - soon - though I don't know exactly when. There are still a lot of unknowns and variables. The good news is we know where! More on all that when the time is right...and I actually know something.

The move is bittersweet. The main thing the move does for us is that it gets the girls in a better school district. It also puts us closer to Court's office thus shortening his commute. The down side is we are leaving the house that was our first home. We lived in a house prior to this one but it wasn't a home. There's a difference ya know. This is where the girls came home from the hospital, where we endured sleepless nights and 18 months of all-day pregnancy sickness. It's where we hosted family gatherings and where I cooked my first Thanksgiving meal. It's where we lit off firecrackers three weeks post 4th of July and where we roasted marshmallows with friends in the driveway. It's where the girls learned to crawl, walk, swim and ride bikes. It's the only home Grace and Charlotte have ever known.

While this is the only house Grace and Charlotte have ever known, they aren't the only children to be raised in this house. Court's father, uncle and aunt all grew up here. This house has been inhabited by a family member for 63 years and upon our departure, the tenure ends. *Sigh.* Like I said, bittersweet.

But life is ever changing and change, whether difficult or waited for with baited breath, is good. I look forward to our new house and the process of making that place our home. (The girls and I have been listening to Phillip Phillips a lot lately! 😜)

So seeing the owl flooded me with a lot of emotions. We quietly sat and watched each other for quite sometime - although I wonder if she wasn't watching the muted tv screen glowing behind me. She couldn't have been that transfixed on me.

Then again, perhaps she came to say goodbye. To give a nod of thanks for rescuing her from the chimney and in turn saving the lives of her owlets. (I checked. The proper term for a baby owl.) For she has not returned since Tuesday. Every night, I check and wait. I'm content that even if I don't see her again before our transplant we had one final moment. One final goodbye. Truth be told, I'll be looking for her every night even after we move. 

1 comment:

Julia said...

Very sweet post! I look forward to hearing more about your new adventure.