I’m melancholy

Like the crow up in the tree

Crying caw caw caw

I feed the crows in the winter. Some people think you shouldn’t feed the birds at all, any kind of bird. But probably a lot of people who do regularly feed birds would not feed crows.

I like crows. I don’t know what’s not to like about crows. They are smart. They are social. They eat just about anything including bugs, trash, and carrion. They help to clean up the environment.

There are always a lot of crows hanging around our property. I put the food out for them in the morning, on the driveway, after Bernd leaves for work. But they know that I put peanuts out for the squirrels a little later. I do that in the backyard.

So while sitting at my computer in the “office,” I can look out the window and see a couple of crows in the tree. They are waiting for the peanuts … along with the doves. I put more peanuts out in the afternoon just in case the squirrels didn’t actually get any. There is seed in a feeder for the wee birds.

I like to think that I help to make the lives of the critters a little bit easier. Wyoming winters can be hard. Last year’s was particularly difficult. It’s been really cold this time around too, but we haven’t had as much snow. Or I should say, we haven’t had snow as often. The Thanksgiving storm dumped 21 inches on us. There is still a lot of it on the ground.

Am I melancholy? Some days more than others. Like today.

Photos and quotes courtesy of NatGeoKids and Spirit Animals respectively