Orange, dusty people biters

There are some really amazing things going on in this world.

Here is a thing. I have a huge appreciation for Crows. That has been established here in my writing, several times over. If I had a Patron Saint of Birds, it would be the Crow.

Today, I found out that Ornithologists often use Cheetos to study behavior in crows. They do it for a couple of reasons. First, the Cheetos are easy to spot. For the Crows. Not the Ornithologists. That bright orange. I imagine too, that after you’ve studied a bunch of crows, it would be easier to recognize those birds of study after they’ve been munching on Cheetos. They’d have that bright orange Cheeto-Dust all over the faces and hands. Beaks and talons. Supposedly, they’re one of the birds’ favorite snacks. Probably right up there with Pop-Tarts. I’ll bet. All I know is that I am having a Crow Party. I’m going to put out bowls and bowls of Cheetos and see if they come around.

I won’t keep talking about Crows, although I could go on forever about them. That’s how I am when I write. I have a tendency to get lengthy. I should learn from Ray Bradbury. Perhaps.

He wrote the first draft of Fahrenheit 451 in just nine days. He was in the basement of the UCLA library where they rented typewriters by the hour. Yep. Nine days. That is driven if you ask me. No meandering there. It has been more than 3 decades since I’ve read that book, and I have no recollection of its small details. But I do remember the dystopian gist of things. Ray must have been very clear on his message, though. He was 33 when he wrote it. And clearly, he didn’t have much money for typewriter rentals. Nine days, you see.

Yesterday, I was reminded of us as humans in this way. There is so much about the world, and about each other, that we don’t really know. We think we know people, but we don’t.

Take this as a note of measure. The annual number of worldwide shark bites is ten times less — ten times less — than the number of people bitten by other people, in New York. And that’s just one small blip on the big map. Think of all the other people, biting other people, all over the United States.

I’m not sure why anyone would bite someone else? Personally, I’ve never bitten anyone, and for as long as I live, I do not have any plans to do so. But there are scores of people-biters out there. Apparently. Like I said. So much about people we don’t know. Who’s to say the guy sitting next to right now might be one. I’d skootch on over if I were you.

So, today, remember, there are some pretty amazing things in the world, if we take the time to notice.

And speaking of remembering. This is Memorial Day Weekend.

An American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May. It is set aside to honor the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.”

So yes. This a good time to thank all of those who have given their lives to serve our country, and to protect our freedoms. There is a great website, which will tell you all about Memorial Day and its history, if you care to learn more. I won’t duplicate here. https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/memorial-day-history

Here’s to Memorial Day.
And here, also, is to Living and Noticing Day. I hope yours is bite-free, and Cheeto-bright.

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“To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.”
― Thomas Campbell

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“Beauty exists not in what is seen and remembered, but in what is felt and never forgotten.”
― Johnathan Jena

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“The living owe it to those who no longer can speak to tell their story for them.”
― Czesław Miłosz, The Issa Valley

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