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Usually, after I finish a piece, I know exactly what I'm going to start on next. This time is different, mostly because I've been so busy with work that I haven't had time to really think about it. So, tonite, I looked in my closet and found an old Bucilla Stitchery kit that came from my mother's house. I think my sister gave it to me a few years ago. I was toying with the idea of doing an owl bead-painting, so I think I'll use this design as my initial 'sketch'. It is quite large; the entire design measures about 10" x 10". I'm going to look through my seed beads, and start thinking about what colors to use...
I love owls, as well as most other birds of prey. Owls are very elusive creatures. Most times, they are in a tree right outside your window and you would never know it. I had a close encounter with an owl in Erie, PA about 5 years ago. I went to Erie to visit my family, and I happened to be staying in a motel near the peninsula. There was a rustling outside my window late at night. I looked through the screen, and there was an owl sitting in the pine tree about 3 feet away from the window. He was looking directly at me, and I was astounded. I had never seen an owl this close-up in nature before. I assumed it was there waiting for some small animal to make its way towards the dumpster that was nearby. But, it wouldn't stop looking in my window. After a few moments, it flew away...
There are a lot of myths about owls, and they are usually associated with evil and darkness. They are also thought of as silent messengers of imminent death. The interesting part about that is, I knew I saw that owl for a reason. That summer, my grandfather was dying of lung cancer. Actually, he was my step-grandfather, but he was the only grandfather I had really ever known. Luckily, I got to visit him twice that summer, and I was glad to tell him that I loved him one more time. Only a few months later, the owl's message became apparent, and I had to return to Erie for a 3rd time...