I can't imagine this world without crows. The crows that live out at NOAA
seem to be even more playful than the ones that pass through my neighborhood.

Monday morning, I was walking through the parking lot, and spotted 5 perched
on a motorcycle. One on each handlebar, and 3 standing on the seat, facing
forward. Well, they were wearing the right kind of clothes for a motorcycle
gang!

Yesterday, I spent 20 minutes or more standing in the hallway, watching 3 of
them rip at a cardboard box. There was nothing inside of it, and it had
never contained food (just barometers). One would stand on it, and the other
two would grab the strips of tape on the end and tug it around the knoll. After
a number of tugs, they would all hop around excited, and then start over again.
Every once in awhile they'd all hop on top and start ripping up the edges and
poking holes in the box.

This morning there was one lone crow on the ground as I walked through the
parking lot, and she was bobbing her head up and down - so I bobbed mine up
and down, too. Suddenly, 3 crows burst out of nearby trees and dive-bombed me!
Ack! I ran for cover and they chased me all the way to the covered walkway,
and then sat on the railings and caw'd for a few minutes.

I think I want to be reincarnated as a NOAA crow.

Susan Collicott
camel at serv.net
Seattle, WA