I went on a hike this evening in Griffith Park to break in my new insoles I bought for my boots. I saw some deer, a couple of coyotes, and this owl perched in a tree. It's been over a year since I saw an owl and it immediately brought back a memory. One thing that always strikes me when I see these owls is just how big they are.

When I was living in Asheville, I used to enjoy hiking along the Blue Ridge Parkway in the winter. Most of it is closed in winter due to snow and ice. I would park my car near the Shut In Trail near my house, hike through the woods for a few miles, and then hike back to my car along the road. Most times, I wouldn't see another soul. Anyways, I remember one day hiking down the road when I saw this huge owl perched on a tree branch in the middle of the day. It was the first owl I had remembered seeing in a long time. We both looked at each other for a while and I remember thinking it looked like a big brown baby sitting in the tree. If you look closely at the picture above, you can see the owls eyes looking at the camera.