February 17th. 2017

 

Heavy rain storms, the tower is leaking, The simple stucco walls of the tower absorbed as much as they could and were sweating it out, rain slipping down the walls into the museum room itself. 

I wanted to check on the tarp and the drop cloths, wich I had laid down on the second floor during the previous storm. I was hoping these would soak up the heavy rain, or if not, I could add some more now.

I climbed up the ladder and walked carefully around with my little work light, it is all a bit funky up there.

Then I saw a stooped over form.  Oh my, it was a juvenile owl. As long as I know Barn Owls occupy the top floor of the tower, most years they have 3 or 4 young. 2016 was a sad year for the owls.

He had one wing draped over an old water pipe, face down, feet tucked under. He had a full coat of feathers, with here and there still some down. This juvenile, almost full grown, must have slipped from the top floor down and couldn’t make his way back up. I laid a few planks across the opening for the ladder, and to be really sure, I closed up two small holes on the top floor; no owl can fall trough anymore.