Great Horned Owl

Around 6:30 this evening I wandered outside, camera in hand. I wanted to get some pictures of our grass so I could ask the knowledgeable ladies at the Garden Center just what the hell is going on...it's green in spots, white in others and dead in others. Grass doesn't do well in our Canyon and while we don't have much, what we have we enjoy. Yes, I know it uses water and yes I feel guilty about that, but the rest of the 'garden' is pretty drought tolerant.

As I turned my camera on, there was a loud whooshing as something flew off the grass and towards a densely wooded area. It was close enough that I knew it was an owl, assumed it was a Great Horned and hoped it would stop and perch somewhere within range. The westering sun had sunk behind the ridge, but there was still enough light to capture these shots. They're not the greatest pix but the bird, well it is quite simply brilliant.