Giving a Hoot

Owls are in.

They’re chic. They’re fashionable. They’re popular.

For The Year of the Horse; on the shelves and in the stores, 2014 is The Year of the Owl.

Owls are everywhere.

Sagacious. Wise. Mature. Thoughtful. These are all traits that we ascribe to the majestic bird of prey the French call ‘Hibou.' 

In the 1970s, it was Woodsy Owl who reminded us that pollution was not wise. His sage words: Don’t be a dirty bird!

My dad has told me how his family once befriended a wounded owl (who also lived on the family farm). That winter, they nursed him back to health. I always thought that was a wonderful story of love and compassion.

Speaking of stories, owls appear frequently in literature and on the screen as elder statesman. In the Winnie the Pooh series, for example, these are the traits assigned to the character, Owl.

There are many other realms in which the owl is a celebrated creature:

Academia 
If you are a student or alumnus of Rice University or Temple University, you are proud of the owls.

Sorority Symbol
The Owl is the mascot for Chi Omega (technically chartered as a fraternity). I went out with a Chi O once and she was very mindful of her owl pride.
 
Scarecrow
I told you about our own Oswald the Owl. Each year – from early spring through late fall – we deploy Ozzie as a way to deter small birds from nesting under our screened-in porch. Since we first adopted him, his success rate is 100 percent.

Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my father-in-law who, for years, was an agriculture teacher and advisor for the local FFA chapter in his county. The owl is a key symbol in the FFA and, thus, he has been presented owl-oriented memorabilia from time to time.

Honestly, of all the men I have known in my life, Paul, is one of the wisest (thus it is fitting to think of him as owl-like).

To what do we owe, say, the Bubo virginianus for this latest trend in home décor? Honestly, I have no idea. Maybe it’s as simple as this: owls are cool.

We will certainly be looking for a nice one for our annual holiday home decoration. In the meantime, I noted that some of the owls on the shelves at my local mega supermarket were priced with discount tags when I dropped by this evening. 

Question: If owls could soon be on their way out what creature will be on the way in? 

JG

Originally posted 11/17/2014