Being Watched

  Have you ever gotten that eerie feeling that you are being watched? Somewhere out there in the dark a pair of eyes follows your every movement.  They are glued to you as if the watcher is studying you.  It is a creepy feeling.  I usually leave the windows and blinds open while I am in the living room during the evening.  The breeze off the Bay cools the house considerably so the air conditioning is not needed.  I have never had any qualms about doing this as we live far enough down the lane that not many folks venture down here.  Not to mention that the sounds of the Bayou give the place a certain aura that many folks find foreboding.  Those same sounds comfort me and bring me peace.  But still, some folks are a tad leery about tromping around after dark here. That said, lately, I have had the feeling that someone or something is watching me each evening.  It is a tad unnerving to say the least...especially when the old Bayou Dog pricks up her ears and growls at the exact moment.  Hmmm?

  Usually, I get the feeling just after dark.  I have even taken to closing the windows and blinds but this creates a bit of stifling mustiness to the air in the room.  Our humidity does not allow for much crispness of the air!  This evening, I was determined not to batten down the hatches, so to speak.  I would miss my nightly conversation with the mockingbird!  This determination led me to sit quietly and watch if anything...or anyone...came into the garden.  The watcher did come.

  Just after the mockingbird left the window ledge for the security of the rose thorns, I heard a slight rustle.  Aha!  I knew the source of my uneasiness would venture forth and stare through the window!  Just before the sun set in the west, the barred owl that follows me about the yard sometimes, flew into the Black Gum tree.  This tree is just about twelve feet from the window where I sit.  The bird has a perfect view of my every movement.  Now what in the world could this bird find interesting about my presence?  I watched the owl...the owl watched me.  Soon his "night-vision" allowed him to continue staring while my eyes struggled to even pick him out against the night sky.  

  My sense of foreboding was quieted and, tonight, I feel no need to protect myself against the unknown.  My bird friends are with me.  The mockingbird chirps occasionally from the safety on the arbor and the owl watches every movement in the garden.  Perhaps these are my protectors!  I feel a sense of security in their presence.