"A wise old owl sat on an oak; The more he saw the less he spoke; The less he spoke the more he heard; Why aren't we like that wise old bird?"---Edward Hersey Richards

     Last night I took Charleigh out back in the dusky half light for her last walk.  If not for the scolding of a pesky magpie, I would not have noticed the great horned owl perched in my neighbor's cottonwood as it witnessed  day's end along with us; or more likely it was day's beginning for him.  He was a silent sentinel wonderfully camouflaged by his absolute stillness.  He must hate those noisy crows and magpies who are forever betraying his invisibility.

     This morning I took Charleigh on an early quick walk.  We saw a beautiful hawk observing the dawn,  and later more than a dozen deer grazing in the empty elementary school yard just a block from our house.  It is so easy to forget that there is a whole world of activity going on even when people are not present....especially when people are not present.