THE LONGER DAY PROJECT: 2008

Sunday, November 23, 2008

2008 - I WANT A PET OWL

Last night was interesting...

Nat and I went out to a friend's thanksgiving party last night. While we were out, sometime between 7pm and 3am, a very large great horned owl fell down our dirty chimney, broke through the fireplace chain gate, burst open the glass door and began to terrorize the great super pooch Charlie.

(Charlie pic from unrelated incident)
I know what you're thinking puppy dog, "Why is an owl thrashing your house?"

When we arrived home at 3:30 am, we didn't think anything was amiss, except that Charlie had relieved himself all over the house! No big deal...he is still just a puppy! I tried to get Charlie outside, while Nat went to pick up the poo...that's when she started screaming!

I ran inside to find the owl sitting in the corner here...

He was tired and confused. We realized that there must have been a lot of ruckus between the owl and Charlie because there was black soot marks throughout the house, on the ceilings and walls, couch, chairs, table...Owl poo on the mantle, tables, counter, floor, etc.

At first we were quite alarmed and not sure what to do. So of course I grabbed the video camera and started shooting away. A true national geographic moment! (LINK TO OWL FOOTAGE)

Nat called the Animal Clowns via 911...it's 4 in the morning!

And they told her that it was probably "tuckered out" and we should just turn the lights out and it will fly away.

Yeah...right!

Nat thought we should try the lights out idea (just for fun?), but I didn't want ruin my NatGeo moment sitting in the dark, so I vetoed the Animal Clown idea and opted for the wait-and-see-what-develops idea.

Nat found the courage to go to bed, taking the super pooch with her, leaving me and my new boozin' buddy to figure this out.

I tried to get him to fly out the wide open doors and windows! But he just moved around the house and ended up on the fridge...forever!

Sometimes he looked calm and easy

Sometimes he looked happy, sometimes he slept...

other times, he clearly didn't like me!

Now it was close to 5 am...I was running out of ideas and didn't want to hurt the poor bird by chasing it around the house. So I thought I would try food (chicken chew!)...

The owl literally balked at the dried out dog treat! hahaha! I'm an idiot, i know.

I did consider just keeping the owl...he'd make a great pet, but the claws...

Those giant claws hanging forebodingly over a fridge picture of my sister-in-law and niece made me think twice about that.

Finally, after looking out the door a hundred times before, the big bad bird flew the coop.

I wiki'd the beast and found it probably is an average sized male of the California subspecies of Great Horned Owls. I hope he comes back and takes care of the other little furry monsters running around in the house. And not Charlie!

This was a big bird.

Questions still lingering...

How did a giant owl fall down the chimney?
How did the owl not die? Thank God the flue was open or we'd have just smelled it months from now!
How did the owl open the fireplace chain gate and door without shattering the glass?
How did Charlie pooch and a giant owl get along for what must have been hours?
Who would have won the battle royal? A 10 month old Westie or a Great Horned owl?

Neither animal was harmed during the filming of this incident and the Owl left without any apparent injury! Charlie pooch slept like a baby. I did not.
WHEW!!!!