“The crow commands, the captive must obey.”
George R. R. Martin
Written in 2010 Revised to the blog in Nov 2016
By Cathern Harrison
“Come!” Katie called to Brandy as she opened the back door. There was no need to call her furry friend as Brandy was right behind her, knowing that with leash in hand Katie was taking her off on an adventure. She was right they were headed to her favorite spot, a place where she could be let off leash to run and explore. The little patch of woods was a 10-minute walk from their home and was full of wondrous things for a puppy to sniff out and Katie to marvel in.
https://marciabonta.wordpress.com/category/birds/crows/
Shortly after leaving their yard, Katie heard crows cawing, there seems to be a few of the birds upset about something. About midway to the woods Katie noticed the crows circling over the wooded area. They were cawing and flying in a small circular pattern above the trees, boldly some crows would take a swoop into the tress then return to their mobbing from above. Yes Katie realized, that is what they were doing mobbing something they didn’t want there. In the meantime Brandy was just happy to be let off leash when they reached the overgrown meadow the path to the woods meandered through. She investigating everything her nose sniffed out while paying attention to where Katie was headed, running back to her mommy, to check in and then leave again. As the pair neared the crows, Katie put Brandy back on her leash so she did not scare whatever the crows where mobbing. Quietly the two followed the path to where the crows had been circling as they had now given up mobbing what ever it was.
Katie looked skyward searching the top of the canopy but couldn’t see anything… She looked this way and that way, up and down but spotted nothing that would have be bothering the crows. Disappointed that their adventure was turning into an ordinary walk she let Brandy off leash again and they played hide-and-seek instead. It was a learning, awareness game she had started with Brandy when she was a puppy and became too bold, running far ahead and out of sight of Katie or lagging behind to search for a scent she had picked up. When that happened Katie would hide behind a tree and call “Brandy”, who would then come seeking Katie.
The patch of woods was a great place to practice the game. It was not huge and surrounded on three sides by the service road for the Trans Canada highway, a Man’s store (Reno Depot) and a huge pharmaceutical complex, On the fourth, Brunswick Boulevard was soon going to be opening up.
And between the woods and home was the northern part of Pointe Claire, Heritage.
Even with what surrounded it, it was a little bit of an oasis of Mother Nature’s bounties - a treasure of darkness, cool beauty enjoyed by many of the locals but also disrespected by some. The edges were a dumping ground for construction material and the inter part a haven for young people pushing life to the limit with booze, camp fires, hideouts and learning about life without parental ‘guidance’. In other words, testing their wings.
In the winter there were bird feeders maintained by mystery care givers, cross country ski trails, and some curious way of keeping the trails open, not quiet figured out by Katie.
In the spring a pair of mallards would come to check out the marshy area and would swim around in the snow melt water carefully avoiding the trees the water surrounded. There was at least one pair of foxes raising litters or so Katie had been told but she had also spotted a fox in the meadow on their way home from a walk one day. Brandy had been too busy sniffing her way along the path to notice…
Winding their way down a path through the woods while enjoy a breath of nature so close to home that day , Katie and Brandy eventually circled round to come back to where they had gone into the area the crows had been circling. “Maybe another investigation should be done before we go home,” Katie mentioned to Brandy who could have cared less. She was just happy to be off leash and investigating
all the smells left by other
critters. Once again Katie looked up and around the area that the crows
had led them to. This time she was successful in finding what had caused
the crows to be stressed out. Perched in a tree several feet about her
head was a huge great horned owl. The majestic bird looked down on
Katie and Brandy who by then was sniffing around the bottom of the tree,
with its huge yellow eyes. Brandy was called in, leashed and the pair
left the owl in peace to enjoy the patch of woods without harassment.
However, Katie had noted which tree the owl was in and the next day when they went back to the woods looked for it. There it was sitting in the same tree. Brandy was kept on leash until they were well away from the owl and the scent Brandy was interested in the first day.
found at http://witmerstone.com/
The third day the pair headed for the bush Katie had a camera with her to get some shots to the owl. This time though no owl and it was never seen again… so only lives in Katie’s memories now for Brandy never did know what she had discovered under that tree or above her head. .
.................................................................
The Facts –
Most of the story happened as written. (It is a writer’s privilege to express it as they remember it or to embellish for interest ;o)
I find it ‘reads’ better to write in the third person so change names thus: I’m Katie and Brandy was *Teddy the blonde male Cocker Spaniel we had between November 1995 and July 2008.
Not only was the owl in my memories there has been a little jar with an owl pellet in it hanging around for a few years. The pellet had been a tight little package of tiny bones and mangled fur, which was pulled apart out of curiosity and to share the knowledge with the children in our lives. In the pellet there was the bones of a bird foot, possibly a crow by the size of it...
Since then Brunswick has opened up and the woods are not as appealing so not many visits are taken to the area. Popular saplings now small trees, filled the meadow so it now it a tiny forest.
What would have once been called swampy part of the woods is a great breeding ground for mosquitoes - unless covered in DEET or moving at a run it is not a place to be in the warmer months of the year. The area was also home to the little brown snake, only one of a few in this province. The little brown snake at one time was found in many places such as vacant city lots but no more it has lost much of its habitat.
Update in November 2016 -
* The photo of the dog above is of Teddy taken just before I had him put down. At the end he was
overweight and cranky - likely due to arthritis or hip problems or his clicky knee - all were found when he was a only a couple of years old. He was not a happy camper and was needing to be carried up stairs not easy at his weight and my gimpy back so rather than have him suffering and possibly biting a child I thought it best to say good bye to him . It was one of the hardest things I have done and I grieved for a long time and said I was never getting another dog. About six months later when others were walking a dog pass our place I realized that I needed another four legged buddy and we found a place to get a Cockapoo, just had to wait for a litter to be born. Brandy (on left) came to live with us a year after Teddy had left us.
Have been over to the woods three times this fall and it is being visited by a few but the trails have not been maintained so are littered with branches and fallen trees. There are still signs of long ago of a patched up fort and charred wood from a camp fire, trails are marked the red tape around trees, assume for cross- county skiing. It is still a lovely patch to walk through although with caution because of all the debris on the paths and trails.
Not sure how long it will be available to us as it is earmarked for a light-rail train station and parking lot if and when that project come to be... Until then I planned to enjoy it while I can...
“Come!” Katie called to Brandy as she opened the back door. There was no need to call her furry friend as Brandy was right behind her, knowing that with leash in hand Katie was taking her off on an adventure. She was right they were headed to her favorite spot, a place where she could be let off leash to run and explore. The little patch of woods was a 10-minute walk from their home and was full of wondrous things for a puppy to sniff out and Katie to marvel in.
Shortly after leaving their yard, Katie heard crows cawing, there seems to be a few of the birds upset about something. About midway to the woods Katie noticed the crows circling over the wooded area. They were cawing and flying in a small circular pattern above the trees, boldly some crows would take a swoop into the tress then return to their mobbing from above. Yes Katie realized, that is what they were doing mobbing something they didn’t want there. In the meantime Brandy was just happy to be let off leash when they reached the overgrown meadow the path to the woods meandered through. She investigating everything her nose sniffed out while paying attention to where Katie was headed, running back to her mommy, to check in and then leave again. As the pair neared the crows, Katie put Brandy back on her leash so she did not scare whatever the crows where mobbing. Quietly the two followed the path to where the crows had been circling as they had now given up mobbing what ever it was.
Katie looked skyward searching the top of the canopy but couldn’t see anything… She looked this way and that way, up and down but spotted nothing that would have be bothering the crows. Disappointed that their adventure was turning into an ordinary walk she let Brandy off leash again and they played hide-and-seek instead. It was a learning, awareness game she had started with Brandy when she was a puppy and became too bold, running far ahead and out of sight of Katie or lagging behind to search for a scent she had picked up. When that happened Katie would hide behind a tree and call “Brandy”, who would then come seeking Katie.
The patch of woods was a great place to practice the game. It was not huge and surrounded on three sides by the service road for the Trans Canada highway, a Man’s store (Reno Depot) and a huge pharmaceutical complex, On the fourth, Brunswick Boulevard was soon going to be opening up.
And between the woods and home was the northern part of Pointe Claire, Heritage.
Even with what surrounded it, it was a little bit of an oasis of Mother Nature’s bounties - a treasure of darkness, cool beauty enjoyed by many of the locals but also disrespected by some. The edges were a dumping ground for construction material and the inter part a haven for young people pushing life to the limit with booze, camp fires, hideouts and learning about life without parental ‘guidance’. In other words, testing their wings.
In the winter there were bird feeders maintained by mystery care givers, cross country ski trails, and some curious way of keeping the trails open, not quiet figured out by Katie.
In the spring a pair of mallards would come to check out the marshy area and would swim around in the snow melt water carefully avoiding the trees the water surrounded. There was at least one pair of foxes raising litters or so Katie had been told but she had also spotted a fox in the meadow on their way home from a walk one day. Brandy had been too busy sniffing her way along the path to notice…
Winding their way down a path through the woods while enjoy a breath of nature so close to home that day , Katie and Brandy eventually circled round to come back to where they had gone into the area the crows had been circling. “Maybe another investigation should be done before we go home,” Katie mentioned to Brandy who could have cared less. She was just happy to be off leash and investigating
However, Katie had noted which tree the owl was in and the next day when they went back to the woods looked for it. There it was sitting in the same tree. Brandy was kept on leash until they were well away from the owl and the scent Brandy was interested in the first day.
found at http://witmerstone.com/
The third day the pair headed for the bush Katie had a camera with her to get some shots to the owl. This time though no owl and it was never seen again… so only lives in Katie’s memories now for Brandy never did know what she had discovered under that tree or above her head. .
.................................................................
When the owl sings, the night is silent. (Quand le hibou chante, La nuit est silence)”
Charles de Leusse
The Facts –
Most of the story happened as written. (It is a writer’s privilege to express it as they remember it or to embellish for interest ;o)
I find it ‘reads’ better to write in the third person so change names thus: I’m Katie and Brandy was *Teddy the blonde male Cocker Spaniel we had between November 1995 and July 2008.
Not only was the owl in my memories there has been a little jar with an owl pellet in it hanging around for a few years. The pellet had been a tight little package of tiny bones and mangled fur, which was pulled apart out of curiosity and to share the knowledge with the children in our lives. In the pellet there was the bones of a bird foot, possibly a crow by the size of it...
Since then Brunswick has opened up and the woods are not as appealing so not many visits are taken to the area. Popular saplings now small trees, filled the meadow so it now it a tiny forest.
What would have once been called swampy part of the woods is a great breeding ground for mosquitoes - unless covered in DEET or moving at a run it is not a place to be in the warmer months of the year. The area was also home to the little brown snake, only one of a few in this province. The little brown snake at one time was found in many places such as vacant city lots but no more it has lost much of its habitat.
Update in November 2016 -
* The photo of the dog above is of Teddy taken just before I had him put down. At the end he was
Have been over to the woods three times this fall and it is being visited by a few but the trails have not been maintained so are littered with branches and fallen trees. There are still signs of long ago of a patched up fort and charred wood from a camp fire, trails are marked the red tape around trees, assume for cross- county skiing. It is still a lovely patch to walk through although with caution because of all the debris on the paths and trails.
Not sure how long it will be available to us as it is earmarked for a light-rail train station and parking lot if and when that project come to be... Until then I planned to enjoy it while I can...
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