It's COLD and WINDY today. I'm trying to stay inside on this, my day off, but it was time for me to distribute the Civic League newsletters. I'm the Block Captain. Pat, my wife, is the Secretary and one of the photographers. I make it to most of the meetings, but few of the Civic events - since they are held on days and at times I'm usually at work. None the less, it's COLD and WINDY, and it was time to walk around and deliver the newsletters to each mailbox.

I like walking, though the cold was making my nose run. I like listening to the area. It is alive with sounds. Dry leaves bounce and rattle down the street. Crows caw at one another from one leafless tree to another. Starlings scream in unison. They do EVERYTHING in unison. They are the Ants of the bird world. Robins give out occasional, individual chirps, but they generally keep quiet during their work to survive. The Mockingbirds, even when it's not nesting/breeding season, are aggressive and possessive about "their" current zone of residence. They fight - a lot. They can usually convince a Hawk - even with its size and that very serious beak and set of talons - to move on to other airspace. I see Mockingbirds as the Crazies of Bird World. Doves, on the other hand, try to not be noticed. Owls stay out of view, but no one is stupid enough to forget they're there. Hawks usually hang so high in the air you don't notice them. That's just what they want.