The crow, the cockroach - epic! "The truth is too good for fiction," Nancy Price told us in a college fiction class, and it took me years to grasp that. The crow with his gift of twine (how would we know if that crow was a her?) - and your own ability to recognize and appreciate The gifts from a friend who saw through my blackness, and brought some light. The black crow who chased the black dog away and dropped in from time to time just to make sure it wasn't trying to get back in. He was a perceptive creature. I could write a whole post responding to all the cool stuff in your post. Thanks @naquoya - this made my day!