Whooooo stole my hat?
2016-10-30 20:44![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
asher553The fitness center in my apartment complex is maybe 100 or 200 yards from my door. It's a short and usually uneventful walk across the manicured grounds - though a bit dark at night, as one of the lamps is out. I made this trek a few minutes ago, dressed comfortably and with my customary black beret perched atop my head.
About halfway across the green, out of nowhere, I felt a sudden swoosh, and my hat was suddenly gone. I looked around in the dark to see if a freak gust of wind had somehow knocked it to the ground - implausible, since the weather was calm - and then peered around warily for some human prankster. But there wasn't a soul in sight.
I went back to my apartment, put a knit cap on my head, and proceeded to the gym for a little exercise. This time I brought a flashlight with me. On the way back - again without warning - whoosh! and my cap was gone.
With the aid of the flashlight, I identified the likely culprit as a big owl, now sitting defiantly in the tree and staring back at me with a distinct look of "Yeah, it was me. What ya gonna do about it?"
So that is my obligatory Halloween story. I was relieved of my hat, not once but twice, by an audacious owl, and I guess I'm lucky that's all the critter took, or I might be wandering the trails of Hillsdale like the Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
About halfway across the green, out of nowhere, I felt a sudden swoosh, and my hat was suddenly gone. I looked around in the dark to see if a freak gust of wind had somehow knocked it to the ground - implausible, since the weather was calm - and then peered around warily for some human prankster. But there wasn't a soul in sight.
I went back to my apartment, put a knit cap on my head, and proceeded to the gym for a little exercise. This time I brought a flashlight with me. On the way back - again without warning - whoosh! and my cap was gone.
With the aid of the flashlight, I identified the likely culprit as a big owl, now sitting defiantly in the tree and staring back at me with a distinct look of "Yeah, it was me. What ya gonna do about it?"
So that is my obligatory Halloween story. I was relieved of my hat, not once but twice, by an audacious owl, and I guess I'm lucky that's all the critter took, or I might be wandering the trails of Hillsdale like the Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
