A Totem in Owl Wood

A little while ago I was given an old birdbath.

I didn't really want it,

because

it is not a style of garden ornament that I like.

However, because it has owls on it,

and we have Owl Wood,

I decided to accept the gift

and

to place it discreetly away in Owl Wood.

What can I say?

Except that I am overjoyed that I did.

For many years we have gone to sleep at night 

listening to the sound of Tawny Owls

calling to one another.

Not so this last year or so.

The woodland has been upsettingly silent.

Well,

 since I got two strong men to place the birdbath in Owl Wood

I am happy to say that some magic seems to have happened.

The wonderful sound of Mr and Mrs Tawny Owl

calling to one another

has once again become the soundtrack 

I fall asleep to each night.

Magic!

Misunderstandings...

The warning signs were there and I ignored them.  

I'll start at the beginning, we met on a blind date, a meal out with some mutual friends -  Steve and Rhona, we have a lot to blame thank you for.

On one of our early outings, we took our much younger brothers to a funfair.    Max won a prize at some stall or other and was told that he could   "Choose any prize you like, between the yellow light and the green light".

Max replied "I'll have the yellow one, please."

The stallholder thought he was taking the mickey and the rest of us were no use, we were curled up in laughter.     Max had misheard.   I found it funny and endearing.

The humour wears off when it happens on an almost daily basis, the laughter becomes forced.   We can have whole discussions, get things clear, and then still find out that my black is his white.

It improved a little when he got hearing aids, a few years ago.


Yesterday evening,  I was down at the far end of the house,  flicking through a book.   I could hear the owls hunting; the windows were open and they almost sounded as though they were in the room with me, so loud and clear was the sound.

Max came into the room and I told him that there was a lot of owl activity in the garden.

Max "I wonder why?  It's a Bank Holiday Monday tomorrow".

Silence.

Then I hooted with laughter, probably scaring the owls off.    He thought I was talking about cars driving along the lane.

(I know, it loses in translation.)

Our whole life together has been filled with these surreal conversations.  Some are downright dangerous, some are frustrating, this one really got me laughing.  Only Max!