Raven Dance

Sometimes things happen that make me realize how much I love where I live.

We've had torrential rains for a few days, it's impossible to be outside without getting soaked (even with an umbrella). Mud is the word of the day at my place. Everyone but the duck (who seems ecstatic) is unhappy. It's easy to fall into wondering why I live here. Then something happens. I saw the most wonderful thing yesterday morning.

There are 2 pairs of ravens who live in this area. Yesterday morning as I was about to get in my van to go to work I glanced up. The ravens were putting on an aerial display - a Raven Dance.

Each of the pairs was flying together, wing-beats matching, diving, turning, swooping. Twice one bird flew upside down under the other - only for a second, but heart-stopping in its beauty and in the implications. Besides these individual patterns, the two pairs interacted, crossing paths, changing partners briefly, making lovely patterns in the sky. The entire dance looked choreographed, and seemed to take up the whole sky.

I must have watched for 10 minutes, until they swooped beyond my vision and I made myself go to work. I had tears in my eyes, and felt blessed by the raven gods.