Running at 1am

As I wrote in my previous entry, the Mock Trial Team Intramural Competition took up much of my time in the latter half of September. I frequently did not get home from the law school until after midnight. My class studies ground to a halt for about a week and a half.

Going for runs or jogs, however, is an indispensable part of my routine. If I go two or three days without running, I begin to feel like junk. I run two or three miles, five or six days a week. It is invigorating and keeps me feeling healthy.

Toward the end of September, it had been a couple of days since I had been on a run. I got back from the library after Mock Trial practice at midnight, and I needed to exercise. So I went for a two and half mile run around my apartment complex at about 1 am.

As I ran past a patch of woods, out of the corner of my eye I saw something rather large move. I darted to the opposite side of the road and turned to see an owl with wings spread fly up from the ground and land on a limb.

I'm not sure what kind of owl it was. Its underside was white, it had solid black eyes and stood about eight inches to ten inches tall.

I stopped my run and took a few steps closer to study this bird. It's only been a handful of times in my whole life that I've seen an owl in person. The owl did not seem frightened of me at all as I came closer. It turned its head at tremendous angles, as if looking for more prey on the ground. As I continued to stare at it, though, it swiveled its head to lock eyes with me. We stared at each other, unflinching for about 15 seconds before I glanced down and then back at the owl. But it quit the staring contest when I broke first. I left it in peace and continued my run.

Late at night, I can hear the owls often. This was the fourth owl I've spotted since moving to Florida. The other three, I saw all at the same time during a Tallahassee evening, as I noted in my blog entry for June 6th of this year.

I suppose this entry doesn't have much to do with law school, other than to note that law school extracurricular activities may force you to do your regular activities at odd times. In my case, it allowed me to see a unique sight.

Universal Health Care Now,

Nathan Marshburn

P.S. . . After looking up some information, most likely it was a Barred Owl. The National Audubon Society description of the Barred Owl's call matches exactly what I hear at night. You can see and hear the Barred Owl at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fppKGJD3Y6c&feature=related