...And More!

6 walk around challenge winners

22about town: gary goose & don elliott

28 a stroll downtown

Delighted by the photographs of nature I saw on Facebook that were taken by my husband's cousin Joe Altieri, I asked if I might use them as a reference for some of my oil paintings. With his hallmark generosity and humility, "Joey" replied Absolutely! Joe is an avid and inspired photographer who thinks nothing of rising at 5:00 am and traveling miles to distant sites for a photo shoot and he gladly shares the fruits of his labors.

As I went through the treasure trove of Joe's images, one especially caught my eye. (Pun intended.) It was a photo of a reddish owl with one eye closed and seemed to be winking at the viewers. As I painted, I thought that the owl seemed to be sharing some secret and I dubbed the finished product "Wise Guy!" I included this painting in the June exhibition at the co-op gallery I belong to, Brush Strokes

At the First Friday opening reception for that exhibit, while perusing the artworks that were on display, I was surprised to see that, among the offerings of wildlife photographer, Jason Bradshaw, an owl was also featured-this one with both eyes closed-which was titled "Sleepy Time."

Since taking up photography about four years ago, after backpackinging through such National Parks as Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon, Jason has been enamored with wildlife, particularly bears. He discovered enchanting photo opportunities in at the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina, which supports one of the densest populations of black bears ever reported.

In talking with Jason that night, I told him that I was amazed that our

The Most Popular Owl

By collette caprara

gallery's exhibit would feature two different owls, not a typical image depicted in our artwork. To which, he responded that, in fact, he was 90 % sure that they were not two different owls, but one and the same. He said he first saw the owl he photographed at the Refuge's Lake Pungo after seeing another photographer investigating its tree.

"A lot of photographers have a picture of the same owl on Facebook. It always just had one eye open or both eyes closed. Word just got around about this owl. I'd say he was the most popular owl in North Carolina-kkind of like the Refuge's version of Fredericksburg's Gary Goose" Jason said.

Intrigued, I sent a message to Joe, asking where he took that picture. In short time, he replied saying that he took the picture of the golden-orange Screech Owl that I was asking about at Pungo, about two hours from his home in Raleigh.

Jason now says he is 99.9 % sure that the owl in their artwork is the same. Joe recently wrote. "Jason and I have connected and it's amazing that two people from two different parts of the world captured the same owl in the same tree. Life is amazing!"

Collette Caprara is a writer, artist & lover of all of life's blessings

Norma Woodward