A Moment I Will Always Remember

I've had two birding goals this year-to see a horned lark and an owl. Any kind of owl would be fine for me. Tonight I saw an owl! My birding class went to the Springbrook Nature Center in Fridley. The naturalist there told us we would probably see a barred owl. He put on a leather glove and grabbed a little white mouse by the tail. We all stood near him and saw the barred owl adjust his perch so he could make a clean swoop for the mouse. The owl flew down in silence, grabbed that mouse and took off. The owl bit the mouse behind the head, killing it. Then it spent about 3 minutes swiveling his head looking for danger. When an owl moves like that, it gives away it's location to other predators. The owl wants to make sure it is safe before eating. Eventually the owl ate the mouse. That was awesome to see! Then the naturalist asked if anyone in the group wanted to feed the owl. I resisted the urge to be like Horshak (Oooh! Oooh! Pick me!) but my arm did shoot up without hesitation. He asked if I was comfortable holding a mouse in my hand. I lied and said, "Yes." I don't like mice, I would not hold a mouse, but wearing a glove, I would put aside my mouse fear to be that close to an owl. I asked, "Anyone have a camera?" The naturalist grabbed a camera. He had me stand away from the group and put out my right arm with the glove on it, palm up. He told me to keep my thumb low. I was hoping he would put the mouse on the glove for me because I wasn't about to touch a mouse with my bare hand and he did. As soon as that mouse was on my hand the owl took off from it's perch and swooped down to me. I saw it coming. The owl's wingspan was so wide I thought it would knock my head with it's wing so I started praying, "Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God." I prayed aloud but quietly. At the last minute the owl pulled up and didn't take the mouse. "Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God." The naturalist told me to sit still, the owl would come back. In the meantime I can feel the mouse exploring the territory on my glove. It was moving around toward the finger tips. What was I going to do if the mouse turned the other way and started up the sleeve of my coat? Stand there and let it crawl to my shoulder? I don't think so. The owl had returned to it's perch by now and the mouse was at the finger tips. "Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God." Then the owl left the perch and flew at me in silence. I saw it's brown eyes and yellow beak. "Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God." I felt a soft slap on the palm of my hand and my moment was over. I will always remember this moment. Awesome! The photo above is a google image. If I get the photo from the naturalist, I will definitely post it here.