Going Back to My Previous Post...

...The image is of a creation which I came up with by chance when plugging away in Simcity 4 (which I had talked about at length in another previous post).  The little mountain I created reminded me of the Totoro creatures in the old movie "My Neighbour Totoro".  So naturally, I named the little town I created at its feet, "Totoro-mori".

A slightly less comfortable movie reference came up this past winter.  I don't remember exactly when but there was some snow on the ground so I suspect it was late February.  The situation was one where I was heading out to get dinner at a nearby restaurant.  As I left the school where I work I noticed a significant amount of bird droppings on the ground.  I didn't bother looking up.  I just looked down and made sure I didn't step on any droppings.  After I crossed the street I saw more bird droppings.  As I stepped around them I heard crows cawing overhead.  That's when I looked up and saw them...crows.  A large black mob of them.  There were literally hundreds of crows gathered on the telephone and power lines overhead.  For about three blocks every inch of wire was occupied by crows.  "Whoa", I said to myself, "This is like a scene out of 'The Birds'".  There was genuine sense of fear in me as I worked my way down the street trying to avoid being shat upon by some black, feathered bomber.  Thinking back I can surmise that such a scene must of been the origin of the term "a murder of crows".