Nemesis

My husband has a nemesis.
It hides and teases Mike when he least expects.
It calls to him at night.
It hovers as we get out of the car.
It's not a cold.  It's not a person or a thing.
Mike's nemesis is a Screech Owl.

Photo from:

BC Creek Protection Society

http://www.bc-creeks.org/index.php/category/uncategorized/
I like to hear the owls at night.  They hoot and talk to each other and I am hoping they are catching those nasty squirrels we have in our pasture.

I have liked owls for as long as I can remember.  They call to me and they comfort me.

Mike, though, Mike has a love hate relationship with owls.  Mostly hate when they keep him awake at night.

This Screech Owl and sometimes it's partner have created a new relationship with owls for Mike.

A few months back Mike had to go up on the ladder on our balcony to look at our wireless router, which we have to have on the edge of the chimney on the roof, to get signal, as I was on the phone to tech support, I could not do this job.

Mike had just come back in from walking the dogs and said, "It's kind of scary out there.  There's two owls circling outside."  After helping me with the internet issues Mike decided to get his camera and take pictures of the owls.  Of course once he had the camera out the owls disappeared.

What has ensued with Mike and the owls has been comedic to say the least.  He will run upstairs tripping on things, who knows what, to grab his camera.  Yet every time he gets the camera and makes it outside, the owl is gone.  So then he's tried to take his camera outside when he took the dogs outside.  Yet again the owl disappears!  Of course there is the obligatory comments to the owl when he hears the owl with phrases like.. "Yes I hear you, I know you're out there, I'm going to get pictures of you yet!"

Last night, as we were getting out of the car, the owl went flying around the house, with a weird clicking noise.  Mike and I just got a glimpse of the owl.  Mike yelled "I saw you!"

Tonight the thing screeched at me, talked a bit, and then flew off.  Again with the clicking noise.  Mike is away on business trip tonight. 

I wanted to yell at the Owl, "He's gone tonight!"