nor reap, they have neither storehouse
nor barn, and yet God feeds them.
(Luke 12:24a ESV)
In the early spring of 2013, a pair of ravens flew into town and built a nest near the top of the water tower across from my balcony.
Before long, there were three little fledglings learning how to fly. They became my main subjects for weeks to follow, and the inspiration for my first children's picture book, THE WATER TOWER RAVENS.
Every spring, for the next five years, I looked forward to seeing the new brood of fledglings appear, but this year I missed them because I was in the hospital. When I came home, I was greeted instead, by a strange looking structure behind the water tower--a temporary cell tower, I was told.
The fledglings, now grown, were out and about, and one day, while they were away, a crew of men started prepping the water tower for a long overdue paint job and maintenance.
I watched them dismantle antennas and move them over to the temporary tower. They must have moved the nest too, because when I looked for it, it was gone.
The ravens didn't seem as bothered by the missing nest as I was. Sometimes they would circle high above in the sky, watching what was going on. Other times, when no one was there, they would find new perches to sit on, and nooks and crannies to explore.
When everything had been moved, and the paint job was complete, the crew built a corral on the top of the tower.
So now we wait to see when the antennas get put back, the temporary cell tower is removed, and whether the ravens will find a new spot to nest in, or whether they will decide to lodge somewhere else.
