a Yellowstone raven

Hi y'all,
I'm in over-drive this week, juggling three Halloween parties, my upcoming blog tour with Goddess Fish, my day job and readying my story Being for my beta-readers before it goes to my editor.  I must not have felt the pressure this morning because I took a long walk, got a fabulous hair cut then spent the day planting ninety-two tulips and six bushes in the front yard before raking all the leaves from the grass. 

I love to be busy in autumn ... but I'm not alone.  All of nature is prepping for winter.  A cool thing about autumn are the ravens.  I see more of them this time of year than any other.  Their fleeting shadows drift over me as I garden.  They settle on the flowerbed stones, hoping for a hand-out (popcorn to chicken bones, they aren't picky).  I know many artists and writers have branded ravens as emblems of death, doom and evil, but I like them.  They are beautiful birds -- shiny blue-black from beak to feet.  They are insanely curious, greedy as all get out and surprisingly huge.  Some stand almost two feet tall.

I'll admit, I do have to be careful not to think of Alfred Hitchcock while I'm outside this time of year ....