winter crows

I love crows.  I love ravens, too, but we don't have as many of them here - so crows get more of my attention. 
For over 30 years I've felt companioned by them.  What endears them to me is their gorgeous solid blackness, almost negative space at times, their lustiness, their humor, their total energy.

  When I was a kid in Colorado we had their cousins, magpies, who caught my eye.  And those darned birds loved to torment our German Shepherd, Champ.  He'd be minding his own business in our back yard, and a couple of them would come sit on the clothesline just out of reach.  They'd caw and buzz by him and when he jumped at them, they'd quickly scoot just out of reach.  They seemed to find it to be a great past time.

I don't know that I paid much mind to crows until the late 70's or early 80's when I started running. My daily run began before dawn in most seasons.  I ran in all kinds of weather.  And the crows would always be there. 

I lived near Vassar campus and would head toward a path through the woods.  Crows would be flying overhead, east with me, as I ran down the street and into the trees.  They would come by in twos and threes, sometimes more, sometimes a lonely straggler.  But they seemed to want to fly toward the light.  In the evening, I noticed they'd head west toward the river - a reversal of their earlier travels.  On a windy day, when I'd be grumbling in my head, I'd notice that they were playing on currents or shouldering through a strong wind - and I'd feel cheered.  I ran for many years There was never a love of running.  My next favorite part of it was the shower afterward.  My favorite part was the companionship of crows.

I'll share some poems and paintings that have been inspired by this friendship in later blogs.  In the meantime, enjoy these wonderful birds when they come your way!  And feel free to tell my your stories - I bet we all have them.