Introduction

I have been fascinated with crows and other two-winged beings for as long as I can remember. In fact, in my childhood, I would often imagine myself flying with the freedom of a bird, gliding over the tops of trees, or soaring like an eagle. As an adult, I tended to neglect those wonderful flights of the imagination; that is, until a crow appeared in my life, and I was charmed, allowing my soul to soar, again, in the world of the two-winged ones.

This book is a diary of five years with a crow, and chronicles many of the activities, experiences, and adventures we shared during our years together. The book is also a sharing of experiences and stories from many other sources - from people who have had tame crows, or who were simply fortunate enough to share experiences with crows. It is also about my own observations of crows in the natural environment. Crows are a wonderful, misunderstood population, which has coped with human beings for thousands of years; waiting, watching, devouring our garbage, and ever thriving, while we methodically pollute the earth on which we both depend.

Yes, during five years with my crow, I was able to learn much about his language and culture. In fact, as the months passed, and our friendship grew, we developed a mutual trust and a splendid system of communication. I recognized the moment was right to begin a diary on crow behaviour, to record information, and behaviours one would normally not experience by casually observing crows in the wilderness. Initially, my notes were scribbled on bits of paper, or loosely written in a note book which I often carried with me when observing crows.

My crow friend was an inspiration - a stimulus if you like - urging me to observe and truly discover crows in general. Mind you, I was especially interested in writing about my relationship with Spirit, as it was an opportunity to educate and to foster better understanding of the crow species. In today's world, where so many people lack respect for life, human or otherwise, I felt it was important to share my experiences with as many people as possible.

When I review or casually glance back over the pages of my diary, I am amazed and delighted at the ways Spirit revealed his crow nature to me. He expressed anger, displayed a good sense of humour, and showed much kindness, love, and acceptance of my world. Just as importantly, Spirit was a living example of a crow's marvellous ability to adjust to new situations and environmental conditions.

So, the original book, Black Spirit, was written to promote respect and understanding of crows. In the same way, I hope this eBook, The Way of the Crow, can serve a similar purpose, but on a much larger scale. The World Wide Web makes that possible!