End of May

For the past four years, spring has come slowly to the valley but never as late as this year. We are at least four weeks behind schedule, maybe even six.

The photo above is from my office window. It is snowing on the peaks. It snowed on the valley floor this morning. My friend was outside at six in the morning dusting snow off her tomatoes and basil, hurrying to cover them up, hopefully she saved them I have not heard.

Another photo from my office window this evening. The maple trees are doing okay but some trees have not yet broken dormancy. The quaking aspen on the mountains are still sleeping.

The view from the sidewalk in front of my house.

The last photo is from my front porch. See the little black crow on the light post?

I think it is our pet crow we had for a while.

There is no way to tell really, but this crow hangs out on the lamp post by our yard and often watches the dogs and whatever we are doing from her perch on high. She seems to have a spouse and last year they had a batch of several kids.

Having a pet crow living in our house with us was one of the most wonderful experiences. She was incredible, like a flying pooping three year old.

Burgess is clever and intelligent but not like our crow. Her name was Quid Poe Crow. We got her as an injured youngster.

I was pretty crazy about her. She liberated herself one day and I was heartbroken. It took me a while to understand that even though she was not caged and flew free in our house she was too clever to be inside, not when she could fly and have the whole valley, fields and mountains, trees and streams as her home.

The valley for her is an intimate environment, the sky itself, something to caress with her wings. I was selfish to keep her. Birds of the corvid family are little genius's and should never be in captivity.

She taught me a great deal and I am grateful.

There is nothing else like being awakened in the morning with a crow delving into your nose. She hated it when she was the only one awake and would fly from room to room to wake us all up.

To this day I can't say quid pro quo it always come out Quid Poe Crow.