Crows and Memories

I went to the restaurant this morning to have breakfast with my sister. It’s Saturday, and I sometimes go out for breakfast on Saturday. I parked in the lot and got out of the pickup. No sooner had I gotten out than I heard a loud “caw, caw” from above. A crow had perched on the parking lot light and was eyeing me carefully, letting me know that he was there.
I muttered, “Yeah, I see you,” as I went on into the restaurant. He cawed at me all the way into the restaurant.
Now, I don’t know that most people would make much of that, but I had the thought that even though I was in the restaurant parking lot where no one knew me (or cared that I was there), here was this pair of eyes watching my every move from atop a lamp post.
Wiki says that those caws were probably the crow marking out his territory. I presume that he was letting me know that I was not welcome there, and to move on, which I did.
Many animals have taken to the city and have become accustomed to the noise, vehicles, people, and buildings. We don’t often see them, but they are there nevertheless. All manner of snakes, rodents, and small animals inhabit yards, brushy areas, and flower beds. Raccoons, opossums (opossii??), skunks, rabbits, and other larger animals flourish. And although some birds are driven out, others take their place. Crow, starlings, sparrows, robins and others are avian neighbors in most city areas.
Of course, we also have the usual assortment of spiders, roaches, and other insects that sometimes make our lives more complicated. I’ve always liked spiders, however, and particularly enjoy the fall of the year when the orb spider makes large webs around homes and in yards. I continue to be amazed at the ability of that spider to be a structural engineer, manufacturer, builder, and consumer all in the same package.
The world around us, even in the city, can be awe-inspiring and can open our eyes to something greater than ourselves. One of these days, I’ll again hear the hooting of a great horned owl, just as I have for most of my life. It’s one of those sounds that for me carries with it a flood of memory and emotion of times past and gone. Although I like to think I’m a forward-looking person, I also enjoy the memories that God has given me. But that’s for another blog….