There is something so delightfully cozy about this time of year, from the early dark nights to the perfect excuse for a warm blanket. But as I look around our little town’s neighborhood decorations, I’m struck by how much of our favorite fall aesthetic relies on the color black. From the arched backs of black cats to the leathery wings of bats hanging from porches, Halloween belongs to the shadows. Crows are a massive part of that spooky lineup, traditionally painted as eerie, suspicious characters. But if you spend enough time watching them, you realize they are incredibly smart, social creatures who just happen to wear a midnight-dark wardrobe! They honestly are a really cool animal. In fact, I’ve developed a bit of a routine with the most famous crow in our holler. Everyone, meet Larry.
Oh Larry. Larry, Larry, Larry. Famous on my social media and stole a piece of my heart. I never in my life thought I could love a bird so much. I thought this was a perfect time of year to share about this crazy boy, because crows seem to have that “spooky” vibe this time of year. And honestly, I feel like I’ve always had a thing for black crows. They are so mysterious and majestic. For my bridal shower, I started collecting black crow pottery for our kitchen. That was my theme for our kitchen for the longest time. I actually just pulled out all my crow pottery for Halloween and did a little corner on our countertop in honor of Larry this year for spooky season.
As I write this, right hand up to god, this just happened. It’s Sunday morning. I woke up at 6:30 and took a hot shower before I started my day. I thought, let’s get my Webb written. I’m sitting in our dining/living room, which has three sets of double-hung windows and a sliding glass door. It’s my favorite spot to write, as I can sit here and watch the beauty of the morning through all the windows. The bright colored leaves falling slowly to the ground, frost tips in the grass, and my squirrels bustling through their morning corn. The view from this room that we rebuilt when we moved in is my favorite; that’s why we put in big windows. It was light out, but not too bright, and I had lights on in the room. All of a sudden, over my Christmas music (yes, it’s October 18th, don’t judge me! haha), I swore I heard Larry, so I paused my music. Sure enough, there he was outside our window in a tree squawking at me, saying, “Get my food, woman!”
He literally saw me sitting inside and was trying to get my attention! I was cracking up!
I got up, got his bowl, and filled it with his favorite goodies. He lovessss carbs. Bread is his favorite, but I try not to give him a whole lot. Not because I’m worried about an overweight crow running around, but because I don’t want him filling up with something with no nutritional value. It’s not healthy for them. I often fill his bowl with some of Bear’s food, sliced grapes, Goldfish, nuts, and did you know they love meat!? Oh, he got some of my hoagie one night, and boy did he love that! (Usually Bear gets that, but that night Larry got lucky because Bear already had too much to eat.) I do my research on the animals I feed and plants I grow. I want to know all the things.
I have had a few people ask me, “Andrea, how do you train a crow to come in like that?”
Honestly, I would just hear him and friends out bickering with one another. They would carry on, and would eat the corn I put out. One day I just got curious and googled them and what they ate. That same day I put a white bowl out with all kinds of different goodies. It didn’t take him but a few minutes to swoop down and check out what was in this bowl. He was hesitant at first, wondering what the bowl was, but once he trusted it, he jumped on the edge to get his treats out. That’s how it started.
After a few weeks of doing this, I decided he needed a name and felt like a Larry to me. It just felt right. So every time I take him and his buddies out to eat, I always greet him with a, “Good Morning Larry!” or “Larry, your breakfast is ready buddy!”
Months later I noticed a bright blue bread clip in his bowl. A few weeks later, another random piece of plastic. After that was a pretty feather. Did you know once crows get a routine, and know you are befriending them, they will thank you by bringing random gifts!? Yup, it’s true, and Larry has brought me three gifts this year. It’s official, we are best friends.
How can I tell which one is my Larry among his friends, you ask? Larry is the biggest of them all. Larry doesn’t share well with others. Larry has a special white strip down the right side of his wing. Larry knows me, and I know him. Larry makes me laugh. I love Larry.
You know who else I love!? Bonnie and Clyde! Remember our skelly friends, Bonnie and Clyde, who get into some kind of theme each year? You never know what those buggers will be up to every year! Well, I promised each year at Halloween I would show you. They were very frightful this year. Our new pal Sparky chased them up a tree, and they haven’t come down yet!
Bonnie is literally hanging on to that branch for dear life, with her long black hair hanging beneath her. I don’t blame them, though; Sparky’s eyes glow red, and he barks. (Motion activated.) But I truly think his bark is bigger than his bite. Happy Halloween!
In light of Bonnie & Clyde, here is an idea for any Halloween cup to add a spook factor this Halloween. Mine happens to be in a skelly mug, which goes with this column beautifully.
All I did was put corn syrup in a small bowl and mix in green food coloring so it looked like slime. You could use red for blood, or orange/purple for Halloween colors. Dump the corn syrup onto a small flat saucer. Turn your cup upside down and dip it in it. Twist it around a bit to make sure you have enough that it runs down the cup. Kenzy was absolutely obsessed when I did this for her for breakfast last Halloween.
