It’s early morning on the last Tuesday before school gets out for the summer. I’m lying in bed, unsure what woke me. Was it looming last day worries and deadlines? The vague throb of a troublesome tooth breaking through its ibuprofen buffer? Perhaps it was the owls again.
Our home is surrounded by woods, and the barred owls have been especially active recently. We both thrill to hear their song off and on throughout night. Tonight they’ve woken us again and again with their soft calls.
Once, earlier, wanting to share the moment, I’d whispered to Kurt, “Did you hear that?”.
“Yes,” he’d answered softly, and I knew we were both listening together.
Now, hours later, I listen again carefully, hopefully.
Finally, I hear the call. Not the iconic who-cooks-for-you, but a long warbling call.
Whoot.
I hear Kurt’s breathing change as he moves from sleep to listening again. We’re quiet together, waiting for the next call.
Sometimes it’s distant. Sometimes it’s closer. Usually there are only a few calls and then dark silence. I always imagine mighty wing strokes and flight.
Eventually, the owl calls one more time.
Whoot.
For long minutes afterward, I listen. Tuned to the dark.
Kurt’s breathing eases back into sleep.
I’m still wakeful. My mind wanders. My ears strain for the next call.
Later I hear it, faint and far, far away, on the edges of sleep and sound.
And then, as if comforted somehow, I drift back into sleep.
Nix the comfort zone 
What a perfect tiny slice of your life.
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Thanks! I wasn’t even planning on writing a slice this morning, but I started writing in my notebook , and one thing led to another. Another reason to be grateful to the owls.
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Why is it that we are intrigued with our nocturnal hooty owl friends? I love hearing them call in the middle of the night and could lie there listening all night. I enjoyed your story…and hope your tooth gets fixed soon.
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It occurred to me this morning how annoyed I would be with my human neighbors if they made that much noise in the night! lol (Thanks for the tooth good wishes! It’s been a pain–literally and figuratively.)
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Sometimes I crack my window just a smidge at night so I can hear if the owls come to the trees nearby. Here in rural Georgia, we have a pair of Great Horned Owls that dwell in our woods out front. I know your excitement when you hear them – – it’s fascinating to think about what they see in all that darkness.
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We almost always have our windows cracked so we can hear the owls, and often coyotes, too. I love that you have Great Horned Owls nearby! How cool is that!?
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This writing is synchronous with the sleepiness of nightful waking and beautifully captures the intersection of nature, night, slumber, and life. Your intentional paragraphing made me focus on each observation with time filling the gap on the page.
I, too, woke last night and wish that the sound of an owl had been the cause. Instead, it was the dying battery of a smoke alarm beeping.
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Thanks for the great feedback, but ew, so sorry about the smoke alarm!
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What a welcome respite from the hectic life we live, even if it occurred during a time when sleep should be easing away any worries. Thanks for this! Here’s to more “Whoot”s from the woods whenever wakefulness strikes. Have a wonderful last day.
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I can’t get too upset about not sleeping if I have a chorus of owls to listen to 🙂
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Beautiful – just like a poem. Made me stop and think and breathe in the middle of the day! Thank you!
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What a lovely comment. Thank you!
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My grandson Leo was spending the night here and we were listening to the owl call. Little did I know it made him fearful and he talks about it every time he spends the night here. Sound machine helps. Whew!
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