I try to do most of my traveling around in the daytime, when people can see me. Black cats at night tend to get ignored, and you know me… I love attention. Owls, on the other hand, are most definitely nocturnal creatures, but it turns out that you stand a much better chance of spotting them during the day when they roost in one spot in full daylight until they once again begin their hunt for food under the cover of darkness.

Brigitte Blais found this out when she was walking in the woods near her house on Valley Field Road in Sandy Hook recently. She spotted a large owl sitting on a tree branch. “I didn’t have my camera with me, so I ran back to the house to get it and when I returned, it was still there.” Brigitte took a few pictures that were “too blurry” she said, so she moved closer.

 “I was kind of talking to him and I got within two feet to take this photo. He turned his head around to stare at me across his back, but he didn’t fly off. I knew it was a barred owl by the dark eyes,” added Brigitte, who said she enjoys watching birds.

If you like to get out in nature to look for owls or just to rejuvenate yourself, you should probably go to the Booth Library at 7:30 pm on Thursday, March 9, to hear about the hiking and biking opportunities along the Housatonic Rail-Trail from Botsford in southern Newtown to Trumbull and Monroe. Sue Delbianco will be presenting a slide show on the topic. Ms Delbianco, author of The Last Phantom Train, railroad historian, and biking enthusiast, will provide information regarding the history of the Rails-To-Trails project in our region.

Judy Crane is back on the job at Hawley in her position as an educational assistant. It seems that she took a bit of a spill while practicing her hidden skill: unicycling. Maggie Mahoney, her co-worker, can sympathize with Judy; Maggie rides a mean unicycle herself. Is this some sort of new job requirement for educational assistants?

Newtown Police Sergeant John Cole has drawn a ring around the date April 15 on his calendar, and it’s not a reminder to file his income tax return. April 15 is the day when trout season opens in Connecticut and the day when the sergeant and his son plan to rise before dawn to head for New Fairfield where they will try their angling luck from the shore at Squantz Cove on Candlewood Lake. Besides trout, the sergeant is a fan of bigmouth bass fishing, sometimes putting his boat in the water in seeking to catch those combative fish. When not fishing at Candlewood, Sgt Cole also enjoys angling at Long Meadow Pond in Middlebury, a lengthy, shallow stretch of water that offers fishermen many opportunities to once again glimpse the one that got away.

While passing through Edmond Town Hall last week, I had occasion to see Clark Kathan, who supervises the building’s operation. Much to my delight, Clark invited me on a tour of the building’s long-awaited modern elevator, which has been approved for use following an elevator inspection. The elevator, which stops at the building’s four levels, is located in a newly constructed brick structure on the north side of town hall. The structure mimics the building’s 1929 architecture, giving one the paradoxical sense of being inside a brand-new old building. The elevator car is handsomely decorated with cherry paneling and a mirror-finish, brass-colored ceiling, providing a sense of spaciousness for those within. The elevator rides so smoothly, it doesn’t even seem as if one is traveling. The new elevator replaces an antiquated elevator in the building, providing better access to the town hall for the disabled.

 Everyone must be trying to ward off the last cold breath of winter this week with a hot cup of coffee. The lines were lengthy at Dunkin’ Donuts every time I prowled past. I must add, though, that the weather and long lines didn’t seem to chill anyone’s spirits; everyone was cheerful and chatty, catching up with each other on the latest news. Me, I just ordered a warm bowl of cream.

Don’t forget that you can catch up on the latest news without waiting in line if you just…

Read me again.