6” Stanley pointing it right at a huge tree across the street in the 200 yard distance, the intense beam of a 100W 12V halogen spotlight suddenly illuminated this large eerie-winged whitish-gray apparition with red glowing eyes floating through the air. I stood there amazed as it continued its glide seemingly in a crash-course right into me. I thought for a moment that perhaps whatever it was had been startled from its roost when I had lit up the center of the distant tree and then seeing the light decided to check it out. I held the hotspot right on it. It glided and glided until just about 30 ft directly before me at head level the magnificent owl veered off to the right only to disappear into the darkness forever.
It was remarkable and something I’ll never forget.
So what amazing things have your amazing torches illuminated?
I used to have a very nice owl living in a cavity under the eaves of my old house. And a very large black snake under the foundation (it started out as a small snake) Let’s just say that “pussy cats and long tail rats no longer to be seen…”
The owl was very friendly and curious. It would fly down an perch on my upstairs balcony rail and watch the world go by. It didn’t mind if you came really close to it (like 2 feet away). We had many long and wonderful conversations over many ’a bottles of beer and apparently very tasty small furry animals.
When I sold the house, the new owners did a lot of renovations including closing up the eves and filling the hole under the foundation. Then everybody around started complaining about the rat/mice/stray cat problems that popped up.
A couple of weeks ago late one night I let our little Maltease out for his nighttime business trip… since he weighs in at a whopping 4 pounds and we live in the country, I always look around to make sure there isn’t something at the pond…. like our friendly Coyote getting a late night drink.
I hit the pond with a light and we had two large Canada Geese spending the night on the pond. A little further out waddeled a mama skunk and six little ones about as big as your fist…. just following mom away from the pond. I was REALLY glad they were at a distance! Ha!
Glad your Owl doesn’t live close…. Maltease might be pretty tasty!
about 2 weeks ago, we got a 9 week old Maltese-Poodle mix otherwise aka, Malte-Poo. Her name’s Maggie. And lemme tell ya, what a flaming pistol. She’s prolly as smart as a Jack Russell. I’ve been around pooches all my life and she amazes me. We’re in trouble.
When I get a chance I’ll post a pic of her. She has stolen our hearts already. :heart_eyes:
And yeah that owl would have noooooooooooooo problem swooping up Maggie, nope none at all. :cowboy_hat_face:
11 weeks old and a holy terror on 4 stubby legs with paws. I’m quite certain this one has an above average pooch I.Q. She thinks, she conives, she manipulates, she cuts her eyes at us a lot, and unfortunately she still poops where she pretty much pleases. But we’re working on that. My wife tells me that Maltese’s are not exactly known to be the easiest dog to house-break. Couple that with toy-poodle traits and like I said, we gots trouble. 8)
I have no doubt that owl would ultimately win but I’m pretty sure Maggie here would give it h*ll for a nano-second or two.
Actually, I am a goose. I was adopted by a small family of geese that lived in one of our local parks. Some of the best friends one could have. They taught me to speak goose and I taught them to count to three (we were working on four). I know goose for “dog”, “dog on a rope”, “asshole jogger”, and several other essential goose phrases. If I wanted to take a nap they would set up watch on each side of me and keep evildoers away and warn me of any approaching danger (i.e. dogs) If they were feeling particularly stressed or lonely, they would crawl into your lap and take a long snooze (hint, geese don’t cut their toenails).
The grey one would bring me fish (and get all confused when I wouldn’t eat them). He had a wicked sense of humor. His favorite trick was to swim across the pond and just as he got to the edge and jumped out of the water he would scoop down and fill his wings, jump out, get right in your face, and furiously flap his wings giving you a good soaking. He also liked to eat the socks and shoe laces of strangers . He wouldn’t suffer fools or rude joggers kindly, but was endlessly patient with small annoying kids.
There used to be a third goose, but she disappeared one day shortly before Easter. I’m sure she was delicious. The white one in the photo is their son.
Then one night under the cover of darkness during the SARS paranoia the city sent the goosetapo to goosenap them and hauled them off the the gooselag. Instead of their wonderful, beautiful, peaceful park they sent them to a “wildlife center”. Their new home was a small child’s wading pool surrounded by a chain link fence. Bastards…
It’s like we have a Texas-version of a veritable St. Francis of Assisi here folks. I don’t know if I should stand back in awe or utter a prayer for help in house-breaking Maggie.
Btw there Francis, ya ever thought of gettin’ a job at the Houston Zoo? H)
and then one night ya could release all the animals and they could follow ya to some secret utopian critter farm and ya could live happily ever after until the swat teams arrived and blasted the place to smithereens and y’all could then be in real heaven with the real Francis of Assisi. Hey you could even be his Assisistant.
Ok forget all that. It’s too dangerous. I don’t think you can control yerself.
How about a Goose Whisperer then? :nerd_face: t.v. :money_mouth_face:
(I think at the rate this guy’s communing with wild animals we’re prolly gonna see him on David Letterman anyway.)
Well… “Pappy” was easy to house train. in 4 years he has had one accident. BUT…. I have to say that is the last thing he learned. I am certain that he is defective! There simply must be a chip burned out in there somewhere. This little guy is BOSS and he wants everyone to know it. I could bring down BLF with true stories of his antics! Ha!
Here he is the day we made the mistake of bringing him home….Oh… I mean that we were blessed! Yep. Thats my mouse he is standing by. 6 weeks old and 8 ounces! I do think the little mixed breeds like yours make a better animal over all. That look in her eye about says it all! Dan.
I think you might have the breed mixed up. That’s not a Malt-Poo, it’s a Poo-Mese and they are terrors. Make me feel like Ray Guy every time I see one.
as in she doesn’t eat all of what’s in her food dish at once. She kibble-nibbles a bit then gets a burst o’ energy and proceeds to run roughshod over the household. But what a character. Too smart for her own good as I tell the wife constantly.
Yep. Thats my mouse he is standing by. 6 weeks old and 8 ounces! I do think the little mixed breeds like yours make a better animal over all. That look in her eye about says it all! Dan.