Firstly - let me immediately say I HATE Hallowe'en.

Actually... that's not true.

I quite like Hallowe'en itself, but I deplore and abhor "trick or treating", which basically I regard to be little more than promoted and organised extortion by little turds (I'm talking about the parents more than the kids).

Yes, grapple fans, I'm your less than friendly neighbourhood curmudgeon when it comes to all hallows' eve.

I'm the grumpy old sod who will very happily sit in our garden with a hosepipe and literally hose down anyone dumb enough to ignore our "NO trick or treating here thanks" sign.

I'll go for the adults first and if they get uppity after getting soaked, I'll just stand up - that's generally when they tend to leave (as people that know me will tell you - I don't need a Hallowe'en costume to scare the bejaysus out of most people).

(I should also point out that if I come across as errr... slightly uncharitable about all this.... it's with good reason. I've lived in some pretty dodgy places in my life  - areas where no treat to gangs of teenagers (often) had given them a green light to ACTUALLY carry out vandalism to my and others' property.

Oh sure, we (my wife and I) are well aware that we're basically the only ones around here that ACTIVELY rally against this annual night of extortion and vandalism - but look... I'm (for one) well used to being the only one doing something about anything.

Right.

Now that's out of the way...

A clip of an owl for you for Hallowe'en.

This was shot from my dash cam a couple of nights ago, on a wee drive around my local barn owl (and tawny owl and little owl) patch.

No barn owls yet this season (have they all buggered off I wonder?) but a nice tawny t'other night.

See if YOU can spot it.