Most mornings in New Jersey start with the usual cast of characters outside your window. Squirrels racing across the yard. A rabbit or two near the bushes. The occasional deer standing in the driveway looking at you like you are the one who does not belong there. These are the everyday wildlife encounters that come with living in the Garden State and we have all made peace with them.
But every once in a while New Jersey throws something at you that stops you completely.
We had an owl in our fireplace one morning. The cat kept staring at it with that particular intensity that cats reserve for things that should not be there. When we went over to investigate, two small eyes were staring back at us from inside the firebox. Fortunately the fireplace was cold. We assembled a plan. Our daughter opened the fireplace door, my wife grabbed the owl in a towel, I opened the front door, and the bird flew off into the morning like nothing had happened. Just another Tuesday…