And The Storm Carried On
The predawn light had difficulty expressing itself through the moisture-laden overcast … and the storm carried on.
As sunup slowly brightened the ambiance, a gentle zephyr intermittently swirled a mixture of crystalline flakes and sleet through the grassland’s landscape and a silent-winged visitor flew stealthily over the terrain landing upon an ancient, snow-mantled fence post. The Short-eared Owl had arrived … and the storm carried on.
For the better part of twenty minutes the plucky predator keenly scanned, with both eye and ear, the nearby expanse searching for telltale murid movements or sounds that would disclose the location of its quarry. The reticent domain balefully glared back and was silent … and the storm carried on.
Then, without foreshadow, the diminutive dynamo stooped forward and firmly launched to the sky. Its flight in departing was as hushed and airy as its arrival … and the storm carried on.
~ Anecdote and Short-eared Owl capture, And The Storm Carried On © Jerry L. Ferrara. Image created during the winter of 2021 in eastern Washington State.