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We woke to the sound of squirrels playing tag on the roof just above our bed.  They must have raced back and forth for at least thirty minutes.  Okay, maybe not tag, maybe it was a game of acorn soccer, because in between the leaping and running were periodic sounds of acorns rolling around, or hitting the roof.  As far as we could figure out, they were leaping into the oak tree beside the house, knocking off an acorn, then leaping onto the roof as the acorn fell, and running like crazy after each other.  It was funny, but not on one of the few mornings we could have slept in. 

Once the squirrels quieted down, the crows started.  Distant cawing, that kept up all day.  We’ve finally got a small flock starting back up since the West Nile nearly wiped them out.  When we first moved here, there were so many crows; big, fat, glossy black, almost the size of ravens, that we came close to naming the house, The Rookery.  Because there was a rookery in the back edge of the housing development, very near us.  Glad we didn’t name the house after the crows, because West Nile really did a number on the local corvids.  There were no crows for awhile, and I missed their calls in the morning.  It had become such a part of the daily routine, that the silence was lonely.  But this year we had some comebacks, and we have a family group of about five that have stayed in the neighborhood.  It’s a far cry from the dozens that we started with, but it’s promising.  When I took the dogs out this morning, all five of them flew overhead and settled in the trees at the edge of the neighbor’s yard.  It was good to see them.  They were upset all day, though, cawing and flying, which meant they were probably harassing one of the hawks that frequent the area.  Poor hawk, but glad to have the crows back.

Got a late start to my desk, because I’m having trouble plotting this last climatic fight scene, all right, next to last.  I know what happens, but the order and who lives and who dies is sort of fluid, so I’m picking my way through it.  I wasn’t even sure I was going to work today, but I went to my office and tried.  Three hours, or so, later, and I had eight pages.  Progress had been made, and notes for the next little bit are waiting for tomorrow.  But it was a hard slog day, I tried regular music, but turned it off almost immediately, and got out the Christmas music.  For those who are new to the blog, holiday music is played only when the writing is going badly.  Now, with Thanksgiving behind us, it’s actually seasonal, but I’ll play Christmas songs in July, if I’ve tried everything else.  It helped that we had the year’s first snow.  Something about waking to the roof’s all white, and the ground covered, however thinly, just brightened my spirits.  The snow was falling in big fluffy, white flakes, so large and floating they looked like feathers.  I got out one of the scented candles I only use around this time of year.  The scent is called Jack Frost, but it smells like peppermint with a little vanilla mixed in, and I’ve burned it enough years in a row, that it reminds me of the holidays now.  I had snow, the scented candle of choice, now for the music. 

Sarah McLachlan’s "Wintersong" started off the afternoon.  Projekt "A Dark Noel" was next, a Goth holiday album.  Excelsis 3 "A Prelude" followed, another Goth holiday album.  I finished the day with The Time Life Treasury of Christmas "Holiday Memories" 2 CD collection.  I only got through part of the first disc, before I had my pages, and was done for the day.