The importance of always trying to contribute for the benefit of all without always taking credit or reward for it. The author was born in south central Kansas, United States, where he spent his childhood and learned an appreciation for nature. His family relocated to Loveland, Colorado where he spent his teen years. He then entered military service and was introduced to civil aviation. Attended higher education with an emphasis on history, social studies, and aviation related studies. Relocated to the San Francisco Bay area and later to the San Diego area to be employed in the aviation maintenance field. He has been an avid writer for several years. Political concerns have dominated his efforts. Many of these were accepted for publishing. Recently, he submitted an article entitled; "A RED WHITE AND BLUE VIEW OF MODERN LIFE IN AMERICA. It is a brief summary of America's changing social values and views offered as to the reasons. As of late, he has decided to attempt a more varied content in his subject matter. Hanna the hoot owl was resting in the top branches of her friend, Terry the big green tree. She was feeling a little tired after the long moonlit night. It was a night filled with strange sights and sounds. There had been the faint sounds of engines running and a distant glow shinning over the big hill that separated the little green forest, she lived in with her friend and home Terry, from the nearest small town full of people. She remembered the little wisps of smoke that she had seen floating across the face of the huge moon as it hung low in the night sky. Very strange she had thought. Her friends in the forest depended on her to always alert them when danger approached. They knew that she could see for miles from her perch high off the ground. Fuzzy the fox had stopped by Terry the tree last night, on his nightly stroll, and loudly asked her to fly over the big hill and see for herself. What could be going on, he had questioned? He was concerned, as his sensitive fox nose had detected strange smells on the nightly breeze. She had replied that she had not fully recovered yet from that nasty landing that she had suffered last week. A sudden gust of wind had surprised her as she returned home. ****************************************** The sun was getting low in the sky and it would be dark soon. The best time to see the distant glow of lights over the hill was at night. She asked her friend, Terry the tall tree, to stretch as high as he could after the sun disappeared. Hanna had scrambled to his uppermost branches and waited to see something. She peered into the quickly fading daylight toward the strange lights. There was a faint glow starting in the distance and a distant sound carried in on the nightly breeze. It was a faint clank, clank, clank, putt, putt, puuutt roaring sound that went up and down, very strange. And then, it was clear, a bright light coming from the top of the big hill and shinning into her eyes. She gasped and rubber her eyes. The bright light actually hurt her sensitive eyes. The faint roar of engines grew louder and swirls of smoke more visible. ****************************************** The truck lights now appeared as a long lighted ribbon that flowed all the way back to the small town. They were scurrying up to the clanking, smoke belching, spark-throwing bulldozers. Then the trucks turned and headed back in the direction they had come from. It was all very frightening, she thought. Hanna resisted any thought of resting so near the strange scene below. However, she also knew that her wing needed a rest. It wouldn't be long now if she could only continue awhile longer. ****************************************** Suddenly the doors flew open and two men stepped out. She decided to stay put and not draw any attention to herself. It was quiet but for the croaking of the frogs that lived along the stream. Hanna did not like or trust people especially so close. She remembered her friends in the forest that had been hunted. Willard, the warthog, had been shot and taken away from his family many years ago, she recalled. It had been a shock to all the forest creatures. There had been many times that people had installed fear in the animals of the woods. Hanna quietly waited. The vehicle's lights had illuminated the area immediately around the small cluster of trees. Also, her mother had warned her not to trust people, which had reinforced her fear. She tried to even quiet her breathing. If these men looked up they would surely see her. ****************************************** Species was the term that people used to refer to any creature. Endangered species was a term that she wasn't familiar with but it must mean that they were in danger, she reasoned. However, if that were true, what was the danger, she questioned? Her mind raced to find an answer. She pondered the question for a few minutes and suddenly felt very much alone. This made her long to be back with her f