Craig’s Corner:
"Hooters"
If you are thinking this is about a restaurant chain or anything related, you are seriously wrong. I am referring to the original “hooters”—our feathery owl friends! Yes, this is the next installment of my “wildlife” experience, sightings of critters while training for the OKC Memorial Marathon.
Last week my running buddy, Sunnie (my dog) and I stepped out into the garage, ready to head out for our morning run. Once in the garage, we were met by a very loud “Who, Who, Who, WhOOOOO”. I looked down at Sunnie, and I think our eyes were probably as big as the owl’s! It sounded like the “hooter” was in the building.
A man’s best running buddy. My dog, Sunnie, runs with me every morning.
Realizing it was an owl, I opened the garage door fully expecting that the act would scare it away because it had to be really close. To my surprise, no sooner had the door finished opening than we were covered with an even louder, “Who, Who, Who, WhOOOOO”. This time the first “hooter” was followed by a second and then a third, “Who, Who, Who, WhOOOOO”. It was a full blown “hooter” convention around my driveway!
I promptly got out my flash light and shined the light at the first and closest “hooter”. The owl was sitting on top of my neighbor’s house not 20 yards from me. It turned its head (eerily like owls do) and looked at me and Sunnie.
We didn’t seem to bother it much because it turned back and “Who, Who, Who, WhOOOOO’d” again. We watched the owl and listened to the others respond a few more times and then decided it was time to go run.
Ok ok, this may not be my neighborhood…but you get the picture!
The morning encounter with these “hooters” definitely had me on edge. I was a bit nervous because years ago, my wife was walking on our running trails and was attacked by an owl. Not a good experience. Think vice on the head. Anyway, I turned on my head lamp, kept an eye on “hooter” number one and quickly “exited stage left”. Thankfully, we didn’t have any other company throughout the rest of our morning. When we got home the “hooters” had left the building, the party was over.
That’s it for now until our next “wildlife” running experience. Seriously, if you don’t get to see enough wildlife, get out and run! What have you encountered while running in the “wild”?
Craig DiGiovanni. VP of Sales & Marketing, Medi-Dyne Healthcare Products. Avid Runner. Wannabe Marathoner.
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