Ah well...

First came two letters from readers referring to the "owl" picture I posted earlier today;

Under the headline Cannot For the Life of Me, Nan Holmes wrote:

Both my son and I cannot see the owl, though I believe he is there. I would be a poor owler and that is why I am here. Can someone point out what should be (and probably is) obvious to everyone else?

and Karen Anne Kolling wrote:
Is that actually an owl? It looks like some wood to me...

Finally, the death blow to my hopes--Murray Head, the photographer who sent me the photo sent me an enlargement of it [making everything crystal clear] and wrote:

Dear Marie...

I do not think that this owl will "fly-out"... tonight.

When I first looked at the tree... I gulped and whispered "Owl!"

The "Sleeping Owl" actually is a bark formation that gives one the illusion of an owl...

(That's why I said... "At least I though so" in my email )

I do not think that the photo would be able to be duplicated... the tree is there but the exact time of day,angle of the sun, leaf shadows etc... that probably is a one time occurrence.

It is located near the south-west corner of The Great Lawn it's one of the red berry bearing treesor just north of them.

I know from reading your book that you love owls... me too.

Sorry that you were fooled; that was not my intent at all.

Murray