On Saturday, Neill, Colin, and I went on a walk/fish to Day Pond State Park here in Colchester.  After a while together, I left the guys to their fishing and walked alone into the forest.  There’s a lovely grove of beeches where years ago I had scattered the ashes of my dog, Fritz the Foxhound.  I wanted to visit our special spot. 

There were many birds calling out in the forest and I could swear that I heard an owl among them.  I pulled out my phone (and my handy Merlin Bird ID app!) to see what birds were present.  No owl was registering, but I kept hearing an owl call and just knew that an owl had to be close by.  Sure enough, I lowered my phone and scanned the trees above me and our eyes locked. 

A beautiful barred owl was in the grove, sitting in a tree above me!
I said aloud, “Hello, owl” and my owl friend crooned back in reply.
As an aside, owls make various sounds and do not just hoot. 
Owls hiss, croon, gurgle, hoot, shriek, and growl. 
Barred owls have a distinctive hoot that some describe as the owls saying, “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you-all?”*

I stayed in the beech grove with my owl friend for maybe 10 minutes. 
I was aware that time was passing and that I should make my way back to my family. 
Though it was amazing that when I left, the barred owl was still there in the grove. 
Still in the tree, and still crooning every now and then. 

One of the lessons we have learned in Forest Therapy Guide Training is that when we walk into the forest or even just sit down somewhere in nature, the birds and animals become alert to our presence.  Though if we can sit (and just be) quietly for 10-15 minutes, the forest returns to its “business.”  And we receive the gift of simply observing the world that we belong to.  We call this practice Sit Spot.  The invitation is rather simple.  Find a spot in nature and sit there for 20 minutes.  Just be!  If this seems intriguing, try Sit Spot out this week and see how it goes for you.

As for me, I am grateful for meeting my owl friend in the forest. 
We live in an awe-inspiring world. 

Love,
Pastor Lauren 

*”Barred Owl Overview,” All About Birds, Cornell Lab, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barred_Owl/overview

Photos by Rev. Lauren Ostrout

Thursday Thoughts 5/30/24