when i was little i always said my favorite animal was a dog but that's just because i wanted one really, really bad. it's gone from dog to unicorn to polar bear to penguin to horse to well, loving all animals. yet for some reason, i see myself surrounded by owl figurines. i never thought of owls as particularly cute or appealing in the aspect of cuddling with, but for the past year i have bought so. many. owls. i have an academic owl figurine right on my desk, above me, so when i look at him he gives me a look of either satisfaction or disappointment according to how hard i've worked that day. so far i haven't received many kind looks. on the tv there is a teeny tiny wooden carving of two owls sitting together on a branch. i got it at a flea market on the north carolina/south carolina border. it was 50 cents and i consider it to be one of my most treasured finds. when i first saw it, the owls reminded me of a pair of friends sitting on the couch and watching tv, thus explaining why i chose the top of the tv for the two little owls to live upon. just a little ways over are two owl candles on top of my windowsill. one of them is my best friend's and the other is mine, who was a gift from my best friend. they look extremely similar so we claimed that they were twins. except candles aren't allowed in dorm rooms so we had to hide them over thanksgiving break. speaking of thanksgiving break, i managed to purchase yet another owl to put in my room. he's made out of pine cone and feathers. i'd say he's the most realistic looking. and sometimes realistic looking fake owls can be quite creepy. i hope for the best with the new addition to my owl family. all of the figurines i have right now are hoot owls and i'm on an endless hunt for a nice barn owl figurine. last summer i went to key west and managed to end up visiting a bird rehabilitation center. when i caught a glimpse of the barn owl i had to catch my breath - he was so beautiful! his feathers were crisp white with grey spots and his eyes were big bright and focused on my every move. honestly, i was a bit scared, but moreso in awe of his handsome features. if anyone were to raid my room, it would be clear that my favorite animal is an owl. though i still really, really want a dog, i would have to say that my favorite animal, as of today, is an owl.