Rules

Random quote of the day:

“Rules have no existence outside of individuals: otherwise a good professor would be as great a genius as Racine.”

—Henri Matisse, Notes of a Painter



Disclaimer: The views expressed in this random quote of the day do not necessarily reflect the views of the poster, her immediate family, Desus and Mero, Beyoncé, or the Marine Corps Marching Band. They do, however, sometimes reflect the views of the Cottingley Fairies.

Never lie to crows

Yesterday I went out to my car to run the engine so the battery didn't die. I usually try to get out and drive around to accomplish this, but I have not had the (mostly mental) energy for it recently. However, it was getting on towards two weeks since I’d driven anywhere and I have a sorry history of killing batteries so sitting in the car reading a book while running the engine was the best alternative.

But as I opened the car door one of the neighborhood murder of crows that I feed landed on the garage roof about six feet from me and gave me The Look. "Where is my snack?"

I told him, "I'm sorry. I don't have anything for you right now. Maybe later." He looked deep into my eyes, bobbed his head as if nodding, and flew away.

So after I'd finished with the car, I went inside and got a snack and threw it out front for him and his crew of crows. (It's not a good idea to lie to crows.) I didn't hear him or his fellows. Sometimes they are quite raucous when snacks are around, sometimes silent and efficient consumers.

But when I looked out a little while later the snacks had magically disappeared.