Owls!

Lately I have seen and heard lots of owls. Now normally I wouldn't pay it much attention but since my Dad passed Dec. 3rd I have started to pay close attention. My Dad loved the outdoors. Especially birds. He had a clock in his living room that had a different bird noise for every hour. He also had a pair of owls hanging in his bathroom. 

The day we buried him, everyone went back to his house to talk and support one another. I live 1/4 mile or less from his place. After everyone had gone, I came on home. It was an eery 1/4 mile ride because I was in his car. I just felt like he was there. When I pulled in front of my house, I got out of the car only to hear an owl "hooting" from my back yard. It gave me chills. It was almost like I was paralyzed. All I could do was stand there and listen. After a few minutes I came on inside and didn't mention my Owl "encounter".

 A few weeks passed and we decided it was time to start clearing  through my Dad's things. My sister would be moving into his place and I would get the furniture and his vehicles. As we got the bedroom suit home and started cleaning out a drawer in the night stand, there was a picture of my Dad standing in front of a podium he had built for his best friend who was a preacher. Beside my Dad was a picture of an owl. I got chills once again. 

If you look  closely you can see the Owl pic on the top shelf of the table and the owl figurine on the bottom shelf.

Now it seems no matter where  I turn, I see an Owl. Lately it seems Facebook is flooded with pictures of Owl's. Maybe it always has been and I'm just now paying it attention, I don't know? This morning I was dreaming that I was at my old house. There we had a creek and my Dad LOVED it there. He said he would build a deck and gazebo right near the creek and just sit there all the time if it were him. So in my dream I was back at this house and I kept hearing an Owl from my front porch. I walked down to the creek where the sound was coming from and there was a Gazebo. I sat down in one of the chairs there and I saw red eyes through the glare of the porch light. Moments later, an Owl flew over and perched on the chair beside me. The Owl looked at me for about 10 seconds and flew off. I then woke up looking around, thinking of my Daddy. 

There have been so many more sightings lately of an Owl. I was coming home one night on the Natchez Trace which is so dark and there is nothing around. Daddy always said "Never stop on this trace after dark for anything! People prey in these bathroom areas after dark" This night I really had to use the restroom and there is one bathroom stop in the 40 mile trip to home. I was getting near the bathroom and I didn't want to stop but I needed to stop. Right as I was getting close to the bathroom an Owl flew out in front of my car. It was like he was saying I told you not to stop on this Trace after dark! Needless to say I didn't stop. 

I know a lot of people don't believe in this sort of thing, but I truly think my Dad is sending me "signs" somehow. What kind of signs? I don't know! Maybe he is letting me know he IS still around. He was very protective. He was only 52 years old when he died and he was still as bossy as ever to us 3 girls even though 2 of us are married and have kids of our own. He didn't hesitate to tell us what we thought and never missed a chance to stand up for one of us if he felt the need. 

My Dad and I

(He was singing Happy Birthday to me here)

Since originally writing this post, I have has many more owl encounters. Just last week on the way to a very important meeting an Owl flew out in front of me again. The meeting went great!  We have now moved back into the old house previously mentioned and I'm just waiting on an Owl to make a home nearby. Only then will it really feel like "home" and feel like he is back there again. Now what I do find odd is that my Dad is buried just a few miles from my home. The cemetery he is buried at is named "Stand Cemetery" The road I live on is a major highway and I have a fairly long driveway. At the end of my driveway there is a road sign that says "Stand Cemetery" Notice that I said above this is the house that he said he loved so much. I can't help but think he had something to do with us getting back into this house. My Owl encounters still continue often and even though many think of them as a bad omen I think of them as "Daddy".