Ironstone & Crows

Hello Friends & Folk ~

it's a beautiful early March day here on the farm...

sunny skies, not too cold and a tad breezey ~

all the better reason to grab a cuppa and in between window-washing,
share with you a coupla snaps of some goodies I found recently :

here's a sweet smaller sized candy-jar, that I picked up from Robin's shop
(www.millstonemercantile.blogspot.com)
it's perfect to hold my handmade soaps in the bathroom...

yesterday, between dropping Hannah off at school and then driving to her concert,
I stopped off at
Blue Moon Antiques

and found some ironstone goodies...

here's a smaller pitcher and an oval platter that works in our bathroom too:

and, Peter had a really cool idea for a shelf ~
he took my vintage sleeve-presser (ironing board) and mounted it in our bath...
the doll-on-bobbin is from Fiddlycat (Rachel Burke), the little pitcher is Homer Laughlin
(found yesterday) and the small, homespun covered jar holds more of my handmade soaps...

I also tied up a small bundle of linen, brown calico & old feedsack for the bottom 'shelf'.

and look who came by for a visit today...
(not that he's not here EVERYday)

Mr. Crowe, as I call him...
has been visiting our backyard feeder as-of-late ~
he waits until the chickadees & titmice are finished,
...then he scurries along at the bottom of the feeder's pole to find his helpings ~

He is rather polite, and will graciously wait his turn.

He looks to be a small Rook, approx. 12-14 weeks old, and is fairly-new to the social scene....
he is sleek and skinny, but energetic & quite alert!!!

...he has been chortling and cavorting about for days...
his family is near, and he always makes sure his Momma is in his sights...

I love his blue-sih/black color...his shiny feathers and his black beak ~
something about those crows that tug at my heart!!!
All Crows are Welcome here at Notgforgotten Farm...

we have neighbors that dislike them,
{{as crows have a penchant for corn}}
but I will always love & admire them for their intelligence and family-commitment ~
Did you know, that when a crow dies, the 'family' will mourn the departed? even scavenging for shiny offerings to leave at the base of a tree, like a pop-top, silver-paper or bit of old metal?

and
did you know, that when an adolescent crow gets into trouble, say, for not being polite in his circle, that the 'family' will hold 'court' and judge the crow's actions? If said crow is found 'guilty' of his crime, then the crow will be punished by the Elders, perhaps by not allowing him to forage with the family, or even going so far as to chase him off for a day or two ~
until he redeems himself to his clan...
or 'MURDER'
{{as a grouping or family of Crows is known by...I learned all of this from the History channel ~}}

All I know is, they are beautiful and such a pleasure to watch...
I love how the babies hop, how the Momma's feed them
and how the Daddy's stand ready for fight-or-flight
....I don't mind one bit if they make a racket

"borrow" shiny things or have a taste for corn...

(perhaps I should offer my visitor an ear or two??)

blessings from the farm,
Lori