Sam Adams the owl

Libby Higgins and Jim Pearn tied the knot in December. They chose the John J. Audubon Center at Mill Grove for the event. The bride explains, "After relocating to the Boston area, we entertained the idea of a New England wedding but decided to come home to beautiful Pennsylvania, where so many of our family and friends still live. We instantly fell in love with the John James Audubon Society at Mill Grove as we drove up the long, tree lined drive. This venue exudes Pennsylvania charm and has everything that we were hoping to find. Fieldstone barn (check!), Pavilion with huge fireplace (check!), Classic old estate (check!), Porch with rocking chairs (check!), Owl at the cocktail hour (BIG CHECK!) The owl definitely sealed the deal…" The image above became a favorite in their wedding album and has since gone viral, like this snapshot in the summer of 2009. Meet "Sam Adams," a resident of the bird sanctuary mingling after the ceremony with his handler. The owl had been hit by a car right near the Audubon Center and the bones under his eye were damaged to such an extent that his tear ducts no longer work and his caretakers have to give him artificial tears. When the official photographer snapped him in the same shot with the newlyweds, the camera's autofocus ensured that they were a blur but Sam was in perfect clarity. Said the bride, "We loved the little fellow and were only too happy to have our picture taken with him - even if he turned out to be the star."