Letter to the Editor: Giving a hoot about owls

To the Editor:

What is it about owls? The animal has suddenly become one of the hardest working marketing images in the U.S.  Owl images on TV sell eyeglasses, cold medicine and are now trip advisors.

Don’t get me wrong. I get the wise old owl thing of big eyes and the rotating heads. I especially enjoy seeing those rare white owls we are fortunate enough to see occasionally in this area. It was awesome to have seen a snowy owl a couple years ago near Effigy Mounds.

However, here’s the owl’s real claim to fame: they can fly virtually silently and eat about 80 pounds of mice per year! As a cat fan, I have thought about that as my feline friends thunder through our house pretending to see a mouse, which is usually a figment of their own imagination.

I think a good use of the owl image, and there are several types in our area, would be to decorate our satellite dishes; if nothing else than to remind us of how important this hauntingly beautiful creature is to the environment. So, enjoy the hoots in the hollers!

Ann Gallagher
Catfish Annie
Lansing