This is a condolences card sent to me by my friend Lizzie after she heard of the dog's death. I love the sentiment... and I have it above the dog's casket.
My dear dog. It was around this time of year that I collected him from the breeder. A little tiny dog-person.
I won't rehash all this. I can't.
Instead, the crow condolences.
CD did his neck arch thing again, but this time, he clicked. He did it three times. To make sure I had understood. I gave him a big piece of dog biscuit. Too big. He pecked some bits off then used it to tease the gulls - dropping it to the ground until then noticed, then dropping and catching in mid-air two or three times as they started to chase him. He then led them in a chase which ended up with him chasing one particular gull before swooping back to land by me.
I put some treats on a log. But he ignored them - they were maybe 12 feet away from us. Instead, he came closer and closer... I dropped some little treats in between and he came very close to me. Eying me in his bright, curious, mostly trusting way. Then he flew off to cache them - and on the way back collected the treats on the log. I say log, it was a wrist-width stick. Of course, he had to stand on it. Crows stand on anything that can be stood on.
I threw some crispy straws out for the gulls as the crows had looked askance at them. The gulls all flapped above the crisps for ages, looking at them, lowering and rising... a kind of mid-air fountain of gulls. CD looked at them and just HAD to join in. He flew into the midst and imitated the gulls - flapping over the crisps, lowering and rising - as if he had to see what it felt like to be a gull. The gulls were not entirely happy and eventually dispersed enough to make the play boring for CD.
He came back to me and seemed content just to peck around close to me. He wasn't asking for food. He was doing his thing beside me. Like a friend.
I saw Droopy waiting in the tree and took some food over for her. I left the two crows there and walked away out of the park. CD swooped behind me - choosing to cache his stash - this one stash - where I would pass him on the way out.
The dog led me to this habit - like a life-raft after the flood.
CD, the flicker carries on.
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