The Elusive Great Grey

Do you get nervous when you start checking things off your bucket list? 

It's a good thing that our bucket list is long, very long, and we keep adding things to it. Lately we have been checking things off the bucket list like today when we found and photographed a GREAT GREY OWL! 

Although Great Grey Owls are not rare they seem to be hard to find. Last week we got a tip about where one, maybe two of these majestic birds might be. We were ready to jump in the car and go looking BUT then Mother Nature took a wild hair and gave us a new 3+ feet of snow in the middle of April! 

So after five days of "inclement" weather we found a little time to take a drive north to see what we could find. This required crossing the Mackinaw Bridge which although closed in the morning because of falling ice was re-opened in time for us to cross. We were sure surprised when a chunk of ice which was like thin pane glass fell from one of the bridge towers and smashed against our windshield. They re-closed the bridge after we crossed. (not to worry it was open again by the time we headed home) BUT IT WAS WORTH IT! 

This owl is so magnificent! 'He' is the Wilfred Brimley of owls. Or maybe the Nick Offerman. It is hard to tell from the photos but he is big. The Great Grey's can be as tall as 33 inches and have a wing span of 5 foot! They are the largest of all owls. 

I could have spent all day and all night watching this owl. However he looked anxious to go find a whisky and a cigar and relax, so we l left him alone.