Aki and I have been cross country skiing all week. It’s time for a break. So, we suit up at the front door and walk down the hill to the Douglas Island Bridge. I am glad that I attached some cleats onto my boots. No one has been able to clear the streets and sidewalks of this week’s snowfall.

            I figured that we would spot a lot of ravens on our walk down to Gastineau Channel. A nesting pair have been gathering nest-building stuff in our neighborhood all week. But we don’t spot any of the smart birds until we reach a state office building down near the water. We see only one, which lands a few feet away from Aki. The little dog falls for an trick. She shoots out to the end of her lead and vibrates as the raven stares her down. Then raven lifts off the ground and circles my little dog.

            We move onto the trail that parallels the channel, surprised not to see a single crow or raven. We will find two dozen of them blocking the road in front of the local grocery store. Someone inside the bus passenger stand is feeding then chunks of day old bread.