Black Jack's Story, The tale of a Scalawag

[Second Hand Pat]

At the request of Vera,

Several summers ago my daughter Diana and her trainer Jane decided to go on a trail ride in the neighborhood. It was early summer and the weather was getting hot as summers tend to get in Florida.

They were having a grand old time talking, the horses were quiet and one of them noticed something black under a pine tree. They walked the horses over to investigate and it was a young crow, feathered but just out of the nest. The crow was sitting in the sun and panting quite heavy.

Diana hopped down and placed the bird in the shade. Neither Diana or Jane had water so they rushed back to the barn, untacked the horses and hopped in Jane’s truck to rescue the crow. They found it still sitting in the same spot, picked it up and took it back to the barn where Diana was able to give it water and cool it down. After all, those black feathers get hot.

I arrived to pick Diana up from the barn and was told about the crow. I went and took a look, pitiful little thing. I asked what they are feeding it, “nothing” was the answer. I suggested moisten cat food since I had raised some crows as a kid. I also asked what Jane was going to do with it. I sort of fancied raising another crow.

One of Jane’s other students Tiffany saw the crow and wanted to take it home. She called her parents and asked if she could bring it home, they said yes and the crow went home with Tiffany.

More later...

[Skip]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

thats how you spell Scalawag!!

who knew?!

[Second Hand Pat]

Learn something new Skip...

Scalawag - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the English slang term for a young rascal or hooligan

[Skip]

i know the word.. i just have never seen it spelled out LOL!!!!

[Second Hand Pat]

Looks kind of weird doesn't it.

[Keith Perkins]

My mom from time to time talks about having a crow as a kid. I grew up 1/4 from her parents out in the country and if you knew my grandpa you wouldn't be overly surprised he climbed 30 or 40 feet up into a pine tree to get that family pet.

Also when I lived in the Chicago Suburbs we had friends (Kim and Jim) that had a crow, except there's lived full time in the corner of the dining room and came from California. Jim was out there just road tripping with his bike when a city crew trimming palm trees tossed a nest out of the tree with two baby crows in it. One jumped and died but the other road it out in the nest. Jim asked the guys what they're going to do with it and of course they say nothing. It road in his backpack from CA to IL and lived a VERY long life, much to Kim's dismay. Oh, the name of the bird was Edgar Allan Crow.

Waiting to hear more of your story.

[Second Hand Pat]

So three days later the crow comes back. Tiffany decided he was more then she could to handle, so Jane offered him to me. Of course I jumped on that one. Birds are a passion for me and I’m reliving memories of my childhood crow friends Midnight and Inky.

So home this crow comes in a cat carrier and he’s eating good, about four times a day. Since I work during the day Diana got to do the mid day feedings. Well, a couple of weeks go by and this crow is growing big time. His flight feathers are almost full length and this boy wants to fly.

You realize how small your house is when a crow is trying to learn to fly. Time to move the crow outside.

[Second Hand Pat]

So the crow is moved to a critter proof outside cage with a couple of perches for exercise. He was feed the first couple of times inside the cage. Important to establish the cage as “home base”. Time to allow the crow his freedom. Up on the roof he goes, now to the tree, back to the roof.

Ever watch a large bird land on a twig. The crow attempts to land and ends up falling through the leaves until he comes to something which can support him, wings all spread out over the leaves. He’s ok, got to learn somehow.

It’s getting late and time to put the crow to bed. The crow flies off across the neighbor’s place next door and lands in the very top of an oak tree. I call to him and he answers back, but he’s not coming. I periodically call to him all afternoon but he’s stuck in that tree. Night is coming and the owls will be out. Nite crow, hope you are there in the morning.

[Jason K.]

this story's getting good pat. more when your willing...hope it has a happy ending...

[Second Hand Pat]

[Second Hand Pat]

So I sit on pins and needles all night hoping this silly crow is ok. I have grown quite fond of him even through he still has no name.

So the next morning I go out at dusk and call to the crow. No answer. Oh no. Is my little crow still alive? Go back inside and wait awhile. Get some coffee, let the dog out and go out again.

The sun is up by this time and it’s getting pretty bright out. I call again and I hear this little answer back. The boy survived the night. I’m dancing with joy. I continue to call to him and he finally comes. He is one hungry baby bird. I feed him and even manage to teach him to land on my arm that day.

[Vee]

Looking forward to the next "Scalawag" installment!

[Second Hand Pat]

My mom from time to time talks about having a crow as a kid. I grew up 1/4 from her parents out in the country and if you knew my grandpa you wouldn't be overly surprised he climbed 30 or 40 feet up into a pine tree to get that family pet.

Also when I lived in the Chicago Suburbs we had friends (Kim and Jim) that had a crow, except there's lived full time in the corner of the dining room and came from California. Jim was out there just road tripping with his bike when a city crew trimming palm trees tossed a nest out of the tree with two baby crows in it. One jumped and died but the other road it out in the nest. Jim asked the guys what they're going to do with it and of course they say nothing. It road in his backpack from CA to IL and lived a VERY long life, much to Kim's dismay. Oh, the name of the bird was Edgar Allan Crow.

Waiting to hear more of your story.

Keith, Edgar Allan Crow...that's cute. I had three crows growing up. They are a ton of fun and can get you in a world of hurt with the neighbors.

this story's getting good pat. more when your willing...hope it has a happy ending...

Looking forward to the next "Scalawag" installment!

Thanks guys, here you go.

[Second Hand Pat]

Now he never really would come to me at my request unless he wanted too. If I called to him he would always answer. Which was good, at least I could find him.

If I offered him something, food, a twig, rock or piece of grass, he would come and land on my arm, hand, head whatever was handy to checkout the treasure I was offering. I could never offer something I wanted to keep, he would take it and go hide it somewhere.

If he had something you wanted you had to trade for it. If he didn’t like what you had to offer off he would fly. Sometimes I would offer a little white rock and he would say nope, I would then offer an identical little white rock and that one would be ok.

The crow lived outside from that point on. He continued to grow and became an excellent flyer. Diana and a neighbor named the crow “Black Jack”, so now he had a name.

[Second Hand Pat]

Since I work during the day, I would feed him in the morning but keep him in the outside cage until I came home in the afternoon. As he got older he was left out more and more. Soon he was left out even at night to roost wherever he chose. Since I intended for him to return to crow society at some point, I figured this was a good thing even if it put him at risk of owls and hawks. Red hawks like to prey on crows, especially little Fish Crows. Black Jack was a Fish Crow vs the larger Common Crow.

As Black Jack grow up that summer, he became quite the scalawag. He terrorized the geese, the horses and even the dog. He would dive bomb the geese and the dog. The dog would try and catch him but Jack was too quick. Jack would land on the horse’s back and peck them. A tail swish would send him on.

He would even bat me in the head with his feet as he flew by when I walked between the barn and the house. Silly crow.