Face to Face

Face to Face!
We were in York, England in November of 1973. It was a typical English late Fall setting - cold, clammy weather and ‘pea soup’ fog. We were following the ‘Ghost Walk’ famous to York. We had just passed the grave yard of St/ Elizabeth church when it appeared. Soaring out from our right it glided past us - a ghostly apparition. Not so. It was a huge Barn Owl clothed in its white feathers. A thrill indeed. I had met Barn Owls before. Let me share this boyhood incident. As a five year old I was actively curious. With father at work and my two older brothers at school I told my busy mother that I was playing outside. I hear strange sounds in our old barn. . Just inside was a rung ladder leading up into the mow. . I started to ascend the rungs. I Something was in the mow. What was it? I Then just above me came a series of clicks. could hear it moving about. Then a loud hissing as my head rose above the last rung. There it was wings widespread as it let out an unearthly scream. I started quickly down the ladder. In my fright I fell back down and landed on the old hay bales. The wind was knocked out of me. Recovering I screamed. Mother heard and older brother arrived. I was alive! Up above a protective mother Barn owl was snapping its bill. Later Dad climbed up another way. Yes, a barn owl and two young ones. We left them alne and in a few weeks left. However, I had a lasting image
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Audubon guide says, “This nocturnal ghost of a bird frequents such places as church belfries, deserted buildings and hollow trees.