The Christmas Hoot

“Three! Two! One! Hooray!” A chorus of voices and clapping awoke me, and I almost fell off my perch. After righting myself, I realized I was not where I thought I was. My tree, in all its piney glory, had a dizzying amount of colorful lights scattered throughout its branches. As I looked around to gather my bearings, a loud voice boomed out.

“Good evening, fellow San Antonians. Welcome to our Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at Travis Park. This year, our beautiful 50-foot conifer was kindly donated to us by the Guadalupe Mountains National Park. We will now be showing the movie, The Grinch. As a courtesy, please silence all cell phones during this time. Enjoy the rest of your evening, and have a Merry Christmas.”

As the eyes of the people turned towards a large white screen, I spotted a rodent hidden in a hollow log half a mile away. Flying as silently as the mouse I was pursuing, I rose high above the oblivious crowds and swooped down onto my prey. It eluded me, but I persisted, following it throughout the concrete parking lot. Finally, I cornered it against one of the tall buildings around me, and then dive-bombed. Talons outstretched, I narrowed my eyes and braced for impact. Victory!

“Even the smallest mouse is a meal to me,” I thought to myself as I circled back around to my decked-out tree.

The night activities continued on with Christmas carols and jolly music. My attention then turned to a fat man dressed in a red and white coat. He was talking and ho-ho-hoing excessively. As children crowded around him, I heard the words, “Santa” and “Saint Nick.” At the mention of Nick, my head swiveled 270º to look. Could it be true?

“Santa,” said a little boy. “What do you want for Christmas?”

Santa’s eyes turned down. “Well…” As he lifted his head, our eyes met. “Paquito! My Northern Saw-Whet owl!” He exclaimed, pointing at me. “That, my dear boy, is what I want for Christmas.”

I flew down to rest on my park ranger Nick’s arm, and hooted with pleasure. A real Christmas hoot, indeed.