A Murder...

... of Ravens

I like a lot of things about Shenyang, but its wildlife isn't one of those things. There are buildings and skyscrapers growing here like weeds and pavement as far as the eye can see, but nothing natural or growing. Actually, I take that back. I can see one old building that has some weeds growing out of its roof, and if I squint and look really far on a clear day, I can see part of a tree in Shenyang's park. So we're not exactly teeming with nature here.

But in the last week or so, a giant flock of birds has decided to make our apartment building their nesting place. I would prefer cute little birds that say "tweet-tweet" while they hop around pecking for seeds, but I'll take what I can get. Every night, hundreds or possibly a thousand ravens circle and swirl around our building before settling down for the night.

I'll admit it's a little creepy. The sun goes down here at 4:30, and giant black birds swooping past our windows in the dark is a little unnerving. Last night I peeked out Meimei's window to see four of them perched on her window sill with their feathers poofed up and heads under their wings. It was sort of cute, even if they were large, black, and only inches from my face. Okay, it was cute but creepy.

But I'm happy to have nature come visit us. I'm starting to ache for wilderness, trees, animals, and let's face it, anything that's not paved over with concrete. So I welcome the giant murder of ravens that come visit every night.