A New Owl Friend?

Over the last month or so I have heard a great horned owl near my home. Usually it's around 10pm or 2-3 am. While I love hearing the call, it does make me nervous as GHOs will eat cats. So whenever I hear the owl, I'm glad my cats are curled up next to me.
Well, this morning, I heard one calling around 6:15am. The sun was just coming up, so I threw on some sweats, grabbed the camera and Molly dog. We headed out into the backyard to find the owl. The kitties wanted to come out too, but I explained that they needed to stay inside for a bit.
I heard the blue jays squawking around the corner, so I headed that way and there was the GHO sitting on top of a pine tree. As I started taking photos, he heard the camera click and looked right into my Soul. Gave me a few chills for sure. I said hello and admired his beauty. 
He saw I meant no harm and he continued calling to his mate for a few more minutes before flying off. What a great way to start the day!
Happy autumnal equinox!