On the Road Again – Part 1
My parents are on a soul-searching trip across the eastern part of the US, and they agreed to share some of the more poignant moments of their trip. I’m so excited that they’re able to do this trip and I am hoping that they are able to experience a sense of freedom and peace while they explore and contemplate their places in life. They are driving and stopping whenever they feel the urge, doing some hiking, beach strolling, camping and general sightseeing. I’m so glad they agreed to share some of their photos and stories…I know there are a lot of people who wish they could do what my parents are doing and enjoy living vicariously through them!
Here is their first update from the Shenandoah River State Park in Virginia:
An Owl Adventure!
We took off on what we thought would be an uneventful 1 mile hike on the Bluebell Trail in the Shenandoah River State Park. The trail was wet because it had just rained and we were busy dodging mud puddles when my husband stopped suddenly and pointed up to a tree nearby. Wow! There sat a small brown screech owl eyeing us very closely.
We were both carrying our cameras so we started snapping pictures as quick as we could. We were probably 6 feet away from the owl and could see her very clearly. After taking several pictures, my husband mentioned that he sure would like to take some photos with his telephoto lens so I volunteered to go back to the care get it for him while he stayed with the owl.
Thankfully the parking lot wasn’t very far from where we were, so I grabbed the camera bag containing his lens and ran back to the trail fearful that the owl would be gone by the time I got back. I found my husband standing in the same spot swatting at the mosquitoes that were eating him alive and viciously scratching the bites he had acquired in the short time I’d been gone. He was afraid to make any noise or to move too much lest he scare the owl.
While I pulled his lens from the camera bag, he was pointing at another tree limb to show me that there was another owl. It was a baby! How exciting! We had found a mama and her baby. We have never seen a live owl in the wild so this was a big moment for us. We stood there for as long as we dared, taking many pictures of both of them. The mama was definitely watching every move we made and I believe that if we had made any move toward the baby, she would have come after us.
I was in awe of that owl just sitting in the tree, so silent and only moving her head to watch our every move. The first thing I noticed about her when my husband pointed her out was her eyes quickly blinking. If not for that, I might not have seen her. It is amazing how they blend in to their surroundings. The baby appeared to be sleeping as it clung to that little tree branch with its claws.
I’d have to say, that was definitely our salient moment for the day.