How fitting this should arrive today! I was in the kitchen when I heard the Caw Caw outside the window. I looked into the trees to see a murder of crows flapping in the stark branches. Dark bodies, black twisty limbs against the grey sky. They were lingering close to a couple of squirrel nests. My first thought was, there must be a hawk nearby and they are waiting for scraps.
My aunt Helen, non biological relation but a very close friend of my late grandma, feeds the crows. Helen is eccentric, a stanch second wave feminist who lives in a small town in Ontario whose major industries are the power plant and tourism. She goes to bed at 6 pm and wakes up at dawn, spends all her time gardening and putting down mulch. She drinks a lot of wine and is crotchety as hell. The last time I saw her she said "I'm no oracle but..." and then proceeded to sound exactly like she thought she was an oracle. I love her so much. Anyway, as if she hadn't cultivated enough mystique for her neighbours, she feeds her food scraps to the crows each morning and then sits out on the porch chain smoking and drinking diluted coffee watching them feed on what she's left for them and cawing up a storm.
Love crows and this picture is perfect. Think they’re beautiful even though many don’t seem to like them. Excited for river otters 🦦 (if you continue with them)
From Nicole in New Jersey:
How fitting this should arrive today! I was in the kitchen when I heard the Caw Caw outside the window. I looked into the trees to see a murder of crows flapping in the stark branches. Dark bodies, black twisty limbs against the grey sky. They were lingering close to a couple of squirrel nests. My first thought was, there must be a hawk nearby and they are waiting for scraps.
From Grace in Ontario:
My aunt Helen, non biological relation but a very close friend of my late grandma, feeds the crows. Helen is eccentric, a stanch second wave feminist who lives in a small town in Ontario whose major industries are the power plant and tourism. She goes to bed at 6 pm and wakes up at dawn, spends all her time gardening and putting down mulch. She drinks a lot of wine and is crotchety as hell. The last time I saw her she said "I'm no oracle but..." and then proceeded to sound exactly like she thought she was an oracle. I love her so much. Anyway, as if she hadn't cultivated enough mystique for her neighbours, she feeds her food scraps to the crows each morning and then sits out on the porch chain smoking and drinking diluted coffee watching them feed on what she's left for them and cawing up a storm.
Crows, like all birds, are a constant revelation. As is your newsletter. Thank you so much for these slices of nature and life in dark times.
Thank you, Elizabeth!
I could not love thus description more: “... they look like a typewriter in action, tapping out full words and sentences.”
I adore crows. Have you seen videos of them sledding in the snow?
I’m also here to quietly put in a vote for river otters!
This, not thus. Ugh.
Thanks, Susan! Okay, looking up crows in the snow now ... okay, that was *excellent* the snowboarding crows - !!
Love crows and this picture is perfect. Think they’re beautiful even though many don’t seem to like them. Excited for river otters 🦦 (if you continue with them)
Thank you! I think they're beautiful, too. Definitely looking strong for river otters :)