Rocky's Story - Sneak Previews
Floundering
I was supposedly found floundering around on the Jasper Airfield, which is a grassy strip just outside of town. I was terrified by most things around me; they were big, I was small, and I couldn’t yet “escape”. Apparently, I couldn’t fly but was fervently trying to rev my wings for takeoff, flaps down. Useless. Hopeless. I didn’t have fly feathers yet, and would need to go to flight school before venturing forth and cavorting in the strong mountain updrafts.
Found
I was so fortunate to have been rescued by Mom and Dad. The universe joined forces to help them find me. Mom was a scientist, and people often brought babies and injured wildlife to her to nurse back to health, including birds. I understand that Mom fed me with an eyedropper! Not sure what was in it, but I did survive the experimentation.
Flying
There are two gifts children get given: one is roots, the other is wings (you know who got those!). The Rowed family has deep roots, and I did eventually learn to use my wings and fly – a few false starts and rough landings, but I finally figured it out – with some dedicated help from my Bro. He would pick me up from the ground, throw me forward in the air (like a baseball!). Repeat. He would pick me up from the ground, throw me forward in the air (like a baseball!). Repeat. I’d flap my slowly growing feathers as hard as I could, and each time I’d stay in the air a little longer. Finally, success. On to perfecting my aerobatic skills! Easy-peasy. I’ve got this!
Learning the Lingos
While I kind of developed my own language, and may not have passed any fluency test, I’m sure I knew more Canadian words than any other crow. Trump that! I didn’t get the specific meaning of a word or sound correct all of the time; for example, I started out calling a bear “bad” instead of “bear” – close enough!
And I did work at perfecting my caws too. Don’t think of me as a birdbrain! (And, by the way, I’m a CORVID, nothing to do with COVID.) My humans were very intelligent, also; they learned to decipher a lot of my corvid caws and ways, but neither Mom nor Miss D ever did figure out how to speak “crow”, although I tried my best to teach them.
History Lesson
And I need to tell you a little bit about Jasper too. It’s a special place in Canada (Canada is HUGE – the second-largest country in the world!). Remember, I was born in Jasper – in the ROCKY Mountains. Jasper was established as a “fur” trading post back in the day – couldn’t find any information about “feather” flogging, but that must have gone on, too, don’t you think?
And you should know that before Jasper became a national park, there is a history of many different First Nations residing in the area; there are over 700 archaeological sites. I got to visit a Moberly family homesite – Miss D showed me a painting of it that enticed me to do a flyover. I could imagine a happy family living there. Beautiful.
Base Camp
When the snow stopped falling and Winter finally agreed to let Spring take over, lovely new life would begin to appear, transforming the landscape as the sunlight took on a different slant, awakening the woodland colours. (Miss D liked to say that Fall had it all, but I especially liked watching Spring spring into action!) Small bright leaves suddenly adorned all my nearby willows, trembling aspens, poplars and birch trees – so much green. Gorgeous green! The clever conifers happily welcomed back their delightful deciduous neighbours. I just loved the many miniature bush blossoms too. Nature is very clever at decorating.
Over time, at the lake, I fine-tuned my red-carpet welcoming technique of seamlessly swooping in from above, running swift and silent, greeting people and their pets enthusiastically by landing on them from “out of the blue”, trying to engage in cordial conversation, brushing my silky feathers against their cheeks. But, sometimes, if they were not my favourites, I would forgo the niceties and simply express my opinion: “Go home!” Loudly. And, often, they would express their opinion, too. Loudly. “Get off me!” “Grrr aull!” Sigh… Life had its challenges.
I was extremely busy during these Summer months, keeping the families from the city entertained, joining them on the beach or at their cabin, assisting them in “cleaning up” their picnic lunches and relieving them of bright, colourful little objects that I found just lying around – putting them away for their “safekeeping” (or possibly “bartering”): lipsticks, eyebrow pencils, pens, jewellery, buttons, coins, marbles, Grandma’s glasses (seemed to get into serious trouble for taking rings – OMG!).
Crow Around Town
I’d see what was happening at the pool hall right beside the theatre: the “Crow Bar”, as I called it. (NOT talking about that wrecking bar!) If my schedule allowed, I’d stay for a beer with the boys, and if it was chilly outside, I’d hang around even longer before cruising close by to Dad’s store, where he displayed the beautiful photographs he had taken of my favourite mountains and lakes. But, get this: there were none of ME featured on the walls! Serious oversight.
Attending School
As you have undoubtedly surmised, I was not the best at following rules or decorum; regardless, I loved going to school. They say that crows are as smart as a seven-year-old – not just a pretty face!
Dining Out
My most favourite meal at home was Perky Dog Food, right out of the can. It smelled so good that maybe people would have liked to try it, too – if I had ever offered! It was the staple, and it encouraged me to be extra energetic, of course. Buddy didn’t think much of me sharing his dinner, but Mom put my can in a safe high place, usually the window ledge, and I would devour it in record time, just in case!
I was supposed to be tidy and quiet when dumpster-diving for choice leftover morsels – yeah, well, try as I might... It was the bears, however, who made such a mess, with a lot of clattering and banging.
Bears, bears and more bears. Had to bear that in mind. Sigh… Just grin and bear it. Okay, okay. Bear with me! (I can bearly believe this.) Hard to be a bear, you know – have to hide in a hole all winter with no food!
One had to be quite creative in preparing dinner every now and then: for example, dried toast, dog kibble or popcorn required dunking in a puddle or little creek or water fountain to make it more edible.
Sometimes I needed to schmuck really hard nuts by dropping them on the highway to get them cracked open; occasionally a car would come along and run over them, which solved that problem. I would wait for all the vehicles to go by before retrieving the good stuff, but I remember seeing more impatient crows scrunch down over their roadkill just as a car zoomed right overtop of them!
Oh! Hold On! Wait a Minute!
I HAVE to talk to you about this… I just do.
Jasper. Summer of 2024. You, sadly, will remember it, too.
My crow outcries echo those heartfelt words that were expressed by YOU, again and again, during those days of fire: inconceivable, unbelievable – words that best describe the terrifying inferno that swept through the beautiful area where our love lives, along with our courage and our hope.
So much lost…
But so much saved.
Thank you, thank you, to community members, first responders, RCMP, firefighters, park wardens, medical personnel, Red Cross volunteers – all of you who did your brave best to save and assist so many of my wildlife friends, my people friends, my school, my hospital, my family home, my special tree, my other sacred places…
