A run down memory lane...

Sent: Tue, July 28, 2009 12:13:54 PM
Subject: YOU are not going to believe this


YESTERDAY, I was running on the trails here in Hood River, where I go all the time...and I was attacked by a HUGE owl. I MEAN HUGE. I was running along, happy in the 100 degree woods. So pretty, peaceful, and pristine! UNTIL a HUGE and ferocious owl attacked me in the head (with its talons). I SHITTTTTTTTTTTT you not. IN the moment, how it felt hitting my head and pulling my hair, I sincerely thought, this is it, this is the moment, my time has come, and I’m being attacked by murder man. I really thought, someone whacked me in the head and was about to drag me off the trail. IT hit me hard and pulled on my hair. My adrenaline rushed in so hard and I was like “WTF” and ready to fight. I really said that and turned around to attack my attacker! THEN, I didn't even get scared until I realized I was being attacked by an owl and not murder man. Because..." I don't know how to speak or fight in OWL lingo.” SO, it flew away right by my face and perched in a tree about 20 feet up and started talking to another owl I discovered in a tree nearby! I was like...OMG; I'm going to die by OWL out here! So I threw a stick hoping it would fly away. NOPE, just bobbled his head and kept staring me down. The other owl was staring at me too! SO, I took my stick and waved it over head so it wouldn't swoop down and eat me. THEN...I went to get another stick and thought I'd back track, as I was too scared to run by both of the owls! I went to get another stick to protect my head and the owl attacked me again on the other side of my head! Like really attacked my head, REALLY! My head feels bruised today. I screamed and said very bad words and ran waving the 2 sticks, jumped off the trail through the woods and over the dried up stream, up the bank, and onto the dirt road. WTF, I ran fast down the road and got back on a connecting trail a ways down. I was still flailing my sticks over my head and 2 women came around the corner running as well. I warned them and they turned around. THEN, a dude came running off the trail and he'd been attacked 3 times! Then a chick on her mt. bike came off the trail and she had been attacked. OMG!

SO, Douglas was already coming to the woods to film with the documentary dudes...I showed him where to connect with the trail from the dirt road which it parallels about 75 yards away. THE F-ing owl flew through the woods from the murder perch and landed on a branch above the truck and stared at us. OMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG.

Needless to say, I'm alive, but now I'm not sure I will EVER run that trail again. SOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSO scary and I have war wounds on my head! Can you believe it? At first, before I discovered the other VICTIMS, I thought it was me. AND was like, wtf, I'm a nice and good person, what, why???? SO, I thought maybe he thinks my hair is a rodent, or they have babies! Needless to say, the 2 very protective owls MUST be nesting. BEWARE, they are ferocious while nesting! I truly wish I had video of the craziness!

Oct. 15, 2009
At present time, months later from that sweltering July day…
A running group was born out of that day in time. The 2 women, who turned back on the trail, are now running track workouts with me weekly. Stacy and Carly have joined the forces of nature. Running to their hearts content indeed! And I’m glad to have met them along the owl attack path!