They're BACK!

Back in March, I noticed a pair of crows hanging out at the top of my pin oak trees in the back yard. Every morning, rain, shine or fog.

I dubbed them Ed and Al, and we became buddies. I'd talk to them as I was pouring my morning tea and they would......not talk back.

Had you worried there for a minute, didn't I?

Sometime in early summer, I was having my usual morning one-sided conversation with my feathery friends when a red-tailed hawk glided into the yard. He perched on the top branch of one of the oaks. Ed and Al were furious. They began swooping and circling around the hawk, who remained unfazed and firmly attached to the oak tree.

I ran for my camera, but dang, the hawk and my buddies had flown off by the time I had it in my hands.

The next morning, I looked for the boys as I was pouring my coffee, but they were not in their usual spot. I set my cup down and walked from room to room trying to get a better view out of my windows, but they simply were not there.

Or the day after. Or the week after. Or the month after.

I frequently heard the hawk's skreeeee call and saw him land in our cypress trees all summer, and as cool as it was to see him, I was worried about Ed and Al. Do hawks eat crows?

John thought I was nuts (so what else is new). He thought the coolness factor of a hawk was at least a zillion times higher than a pair of crows. But not me - hawks eat small furry creatures like bunnies and schnauzers.

So late yesterday afternoon, I was delighted to see THIS:

Ed! Al! Where the heck have you been?!?

Do you see them? Up in the tree-tops?  I know - there's a high probability that these are not my buddies. But just indulge me here. In Julia-land, they're my friends who have returned to talk to me every morning.

Guys. We have a lot of catching up to do. Tell me everything.