DWJ / Strawberry Festival / Owls

[Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)]

Laila wrote:

<< Just recently finished HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE by Dianne Wynn Jones.
It was quite enjoyable, I thought that it would be a good read 
in-between waiting for new chapters and book 5. Has anyone else out 
there had a chance to read it. >>

I read it several years ago and enjoyed it and have always intended 
to read more Diana Wynn Jones, but all I actually have read is her 
book of short stories including "What the Cat Told Me".

Anne U dug up this old post from Amanda:

<< Facts you know in Texas:
>> > All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit, 
>> > vegetable, grain, insect or animal.
> Let's see. Poteet Strawberry Festival. Noonday Sweet Onion 
> Festival. Floresville Peanut Festival. Hah! Wait! The Czilispiel
> is none of the above!
> Hah! But mostly, this is true.

California has plenty of festivals named after a fruit or vegetable. 
I've attended the Indio Date Festival (which is the Riverside County 
Fair) and the Garden Grove Strawberry Festival (whose strawberries 
are all imported because Garden Grove has grown nothing but suburban 
housing as long as I can remember). But I have never attended the 
Gilroy Garlic Festival, the Broccoli Festival, the Asparagus 
Festival, or any of the other "Central" California agriculturally 
named festivals for which fabulous cat artist J. S. Perry makes theme 
pictures for. http://www.jsperry.com/

Steve bboy_mn wrote:

<< there is a type of Pygmy owl that is native to Europe. >>
<< there are Elf owls, but I think they are native to North 
America. >>

The British wizarding folk can have New World owls. In canon (PS/SS) 
the sign on Eeylops Owl Emporium says "Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown, 
and Snowy." Screech owls are a New World owls. 

According to The Owl Pages info, Elf Owls are slightly smaller than 
Pygmy Owls: 
Average Lengths: Female 16 cm (6.1") , Male and 15 cm (5.8").  
Average Wingspan: Female 38 cm (15") , Male 37 cm (14.6"). 
Average Weight:  44g (1.5oz) for breeding females.
VERSUS 
Length: Females 17.4-19cm (6.8-7.5")  Males 15.2-17cm (6-6.7")  
Weight: Females 67-77g (2.36-2.7oz)   Males 50-65g (1.76-2.3oz)     

More important, the Elf Owl's flight is described more like 
Pigwidgeon's:
"Flight is somewhat bat-like, but not as erratic." versus "Flight is 
woodpecker-like and undulating over a distance."