Christmas Time in TN - edited for clarity

Not sure if you can tell or not - from my face - but I was extremely happy to be holding this owl. This is an Eastern Screech Owl which are very small. He is full grown; about the size of a softball.
On our way home from the Christmas Eve service at church (around 11 pm), I thought I saw an owl in the road. Luckily, he was in the road where a car could just drive over top of him without a tire touching him (thankfully, there were not a lot of cars on the road on Christmas Eve). He was on the opposite side of the road from us, and when I saw another car's lights shine on him, I thought to myself that I might have seen an owl. I told Paul to turn around.
This is my purpose in life: rescue animals and turn around when I think I see an animal that needs help.
Paul said he saw another car stop - that told me that there definitely was something in the road. I started getting really excited and told him he had to turn around immediately and go back.
It was an owl, and he was alive. The owl turned his head and looked at me very casually, and one of his wings looked a teeny bit ruffled and stretched out more than the other.
I searched the car trunk for something to pick him up with and was happy to find a pair of Paul's winter gloves. Another car had stopped and a man came over to help. He was relieved when I told him I was taking him home and that I knew of a wildlife place to take him to the next day (at least I hoped that I could get ahold of the place and get him some help).
The owl was very calm while I was picking him up, but his talons were gripping the pavement pretty tight.
When we got home, I took him to the downstairs driveway to examine him and to determine in what way he was hurt. If he turned out to be okay, I wanted him to have a clear shot if he could actually fly away.
Instead of standing up, like he had been doing when I found him, he just rolled over and his eyes were half shut and his pupils were fixed. I told Paul and Abbie that maybe he was dead or would die soon. I rolled him in a towel and held him and was going to give him a happy, snug little bed for his eternal journey. I held him upright b/c I know that owls stand up to sleep; I wanted him to be as comfortable as possible.
Eventually, his eyes shut all the way. I took him to my room and carefully unwrapped him so that Paul could help me determine if he was dead or not - I knew he was very much in shock (which is why I was even able to get close to him in the first place).
When we got him unwrapped, it was obvious that he was still breathing and sound asleep! Due to the shock, he needed to "sleep it off" and recover his energy. He was wet and cold.
Paul kept suggesting places to keep him overnight (the bed of his truck, the downstairs garage); all good suggestions that I considered, but I knew I wouldn't let him go far from me. I just didn't know how to tell Paul that little tidbit. :)
Temporarily, I propped him up on my bed in his little towel nest and had to leave him while we were getting Abbie in bed and while we carried presents to the Christmas tree. Abbie was not even thinking about Christmas anymore; she was excited to have an owl in the house!!!!
While Paul got on the computer for a little bit, I sat in bed and read and watched him sleep. It was a deep sleep.
Eventually, I made a bigger towel nest for him in our bathtub and put a laundry basket over top of him; like a cozy cage. He didn't make a peep/hoot all night.
This morning, he was awake and alert and not happy to see me. I called the wildlife rehab place at 10:00 am. I said, "Merry Christmas" and launched into my story. She listened patiently and said that I could bring him out. I said, "Even on Christmas Day?" She said, "Of course." These are my kind of people!
Meanwhile, I had looked up owl species and owl rescue tips. So far, I had done everything right (except I should have kept human contact to a minimum, but....that's my weakness....sigh....oh, well). Actually, I did keep human contact to a minimum. I went to bed without removing my makeup so as not to disturb him in the bathroom. And Paul took a shower in the guest bathroom this morning. But last night, when I thought for sure he would die from shock, I held him and petted him and talked to him and told him about God and heaven and how he would love it there, and I'm not the least bit sorry. :)
The rescue tips said that owls do need a towel for gripping with their claws, and they do need to be kept warm b/c of shock. And they do need to go to a wildlife rescue center ASAP.
To get him ready for the trip, we prepared a snug box. When I picked him up to put him in the box, he kept making snapping noises with his beak (but not snapping at me); he was warning me to stay away. Despite the thick gloves, one of his talons punctured through the glove into my finger (he didn't mean to, I think he was just trying to grasp and hold on). I ignored the injury. [A note to people who think I'm brave - well, I am and I'm not - I sort of let go of him when his talon got me, and the snapping sound scared me, but when I'm up against the wall, I'll do just about anything.]
After we got him in the car, I took off the glove for a look b/c my finger was throbbing. I had two, nice bloody holes in my finger. Those talons are perfect for gripping tree limbs and rodents!
You can't call a vet or the animal shelter for wildlife injuries. There is only one wildlife rehab place in our area ---- and it is in the boonies!!!! Back in a holler. Down at the end of a pig path. NO JOKE! But what a great place to rehabilitate wild animals and eventually set them free. It took us an hour or so to get there.
The lady said he had probably been hit by a car. When she got him out of the box, he flew! She got him down and examined him (she had better gloves than me). Besides being underweight, she thinks his wings are okay. She'll fatten him up and release him back in our area. Owls mate for life and it's best to release them back into the area they came from. She currently takes care of 4 other screech owls that cannot be released: one is blind, one is missing an eye, one has a partial wing amputation (and I can't remember what is wrong with the other). We visited with her for awhile; asking questions. We made a donation and then came back home. What a great adventure for Christmas Eve and Christmas! This is the best present I could have gotten.

Christmas morning! Look at that Star Wars Death Star! Jealous? The online Lego store was sold out and backordered until late January. But Santa called many Lego stores and found one! 10,000 pieces, baby! And meant for ages 12+. I pointed this out to Abbie, the age category and the daunting number of pieces. She said, and I quote, "That's okay because I'm a Lego expert." Put that in your pipe and smoke it! .

Santa also brought Abbie some cooking supplies. And I got a Tom Tom so I'll never get lost again. Paul got a burr coffee grinder, warm clothes, and the entire Space Ghost series.

On our way to the Chrismas Eve service. Before we even knew we were going to rescue an owl!

A Veronica Square. But who is Veronica? I made these and told Paul that we're calling them Lorrie's Squares. Whoever makes them can put their own name on them. That's fair!

That first picture with me and the owl? That's going to get enlarged and framed and scrapbooked too.

Merry Christmas!