Thunderstorms and Crows

We are already into the second month of 2006. A mild January slips into memory, marked by 3 days with thunderstorms. The normal occurrence of thunderstorms in West Virginia in January is zero. On average it happens once every 10 years. So 3 is significant. Not that it will be as memorable as the harsh winters of 1976 or 1977, or the flood of 1996, but notable for sure. Other Januarys were memorable for events not related to the weather, but they tend to be more personal or shared by a group, whereas the weather is something that everybody in an area had a common experience with.

The crows have found the bird feeder, so that is getting to be a problem. They chase off the songbirds and gobble everything up. They leave if you chase them, but they go off to some nearby tree and watch, knowing that soon you will be gone or back in the house. Then they return. Crows and crow-like mentalities are one of those facts of life that keep reminding us that this life is far from perfect. Of the 2 the crows bother me less. They are bound by instinct to be the way they are. The others have free choice and consciously choose to act the way they act, often driven by an overwhelming sense of self-righteousness. Religious crow-likes are the worst, IMHO. Oh well, what can you do?