8:55 p.m. - 2002-05-29
Alvin and the Chipmunks, Er, I Mean Raccoons
"Wanna see the owl?"
Chris, Alvin's assistant, has popped her head into the exam room to tell us he'll be a little late for Miss Bunny's appointment. He's working on a very special patient in the room next door.
Chris motions me to follow her, and we tiptoe down the hall and peek into the doorway. Alvin and a woman from the Alabama Wildlife Rehabilitation Center are bent over an exam table. Alvin looks up and grins.
"You can come closer, he's under control." I step in and go within about a yard of a male Great Horned Owl. He's lightly anesthetised but not asleep, and when he senses my presence he does the classic 180 degree head turn and stares at me with the most beautiful, perfect, enormous, golden owl eyes. I've stared into a lot of beautiful eyes before, but none quite as captivating as this guy's.
And then he winks at me. It's priceless.
I'm speechless. It takes me a few seconds to recover and then the only thing I can burble out is: "Wow, oohh, wow, a real wild owl!"
Alvin's in a fae mood, and he knows me well enough to know I can take a ribbing. He leans back and howls with laughter. "No, this is Rachel's pet! She's a wizard and she has several of these owls and some black cats, too!" The woman from the Wildlife Center laughs, too, and then carefully rearranges her leather gauntlet so that I can get a clear view of the owl's feet. Enormous feet covered in what looks like brown velvet, with curved black claws about an inch and a half long.
Though I'd love to spend the afternoon with Mr. Owl I reluctantly go back to our exam room so Miss Bunny won't be lonely. A couple of minutes later Alvin and the Wildlife Center woman come to the door with...a baby raccoon, one of two orphans Alvin is taking a look at. They are about six weeks old.
"Ooooooh, sweetie, I just want to take you home and love you!" I gush.
"And he just wants to bite your face and pee on you!" laughs Alvin.
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