Christmas is traditionally a time for miracles. But, like so many of us, maybe you feel there could be nothing that could make this Christmas more special. One tiny owl may prove you wrong.
The Rockefeller Christmas Tree
When the Rockefeller Center’s Christmas tree was put up on Saturday, November 14th,
One podcaster said “If it was a beautiful tree, that would have been surprising.” But, unfortunately, “2020 is a trash can. And it’s like, of course we can’t have nice things.”
Then she tweeted: “Charlie Brown: I have the saddest Christmas Tree.
Rockefeller Center: Hold my beer.”
A Twitter commenter suggested that the tree “had cut its own hair.” “Just like the rest of us,” they said, it’s “really been through things.”
“A metaphor for 2020,” declared another Twitter user. (1)
What’s Going On With The Tree?
The reason for this disappointment is the scrawny, bedraggled look of the tree.
Some folks protest this assessment. “It is beautiful and full,” says EB Kelly, a managing director at the real estate firm that owns Rockefeller Center. The process of wrapping the tree for transport would make the tree appear the worse for wear until the branches have time to settle.
Al Dick owns the tree farm from where the tree was purchased. “It was absolutely beautiful,” he says. “That’s why they took it. You know how many people they had check that tree out?” (1)
The Christmas Owl
On Monday, November 16th, this tree, our “metaphor for 2020,” yielded a surprise.
Ellen Kalish, who is the director and founder of the Ravensbeard Wildlife Center in Saugerties, New York received a call from a woman hoping they could help a baby owl.
Where was it? she asked. She got the last answer she might expect.
“‘At the Christmas tree in the Rockefeller Center,’” Kalish recounts “I’ve been doing this for 20 years and I’ve never heard a story like that.” (2)
Where Did The Owl Come From?
“He could have flown in from Central Park, but I don’t believe that’s true,” says Kalish. “That would be the last place he would want to go in the middle of chaos and construction. Why would he pick that tree if he had a choice not to? He’s smart and he wouldn’t do that.”
Well, where does she think? Her best guess is that the owl was inside the tree when it was wrapped and driven into Manhattan.
What Condition Is He In?
Kalish said on Facebook that she didn’t believe he had had anything to eat or drink in three days. But, despite these dire circumstances, he was physically doing alright, with no fractures or broken bones. “Once he checks in with the vet and gets a clean bill of health, he’ll be released to continue on his wild and wonderful journey,” Kalish says. To that end, they’re giving the little guy lots of mice and water.
“I will wish him a very long and happy life – something we all strive for,” Kalish says. “For me, it’s the Christmas miracle of 2020. It’s a pretty great story. I was honored to be of service.” (2, 3)
