Slim Pickings

Here is my daily visitor. I know they are considered a nuisance, but magpies are actually a beautiful, intelligent bird. In fact, an animal behaviour expert has even gone so far to suggest that they "feel grief and hold funeral-type ceremonies for their fallen friends and lay grass 'wreaths' beside their bodies".

Unfortunately, it is only in the winter that I appreciate them, and the bit of color they inject - it's just nice to see something alive out the window. A short time after I'd taken the above two shots, I caught this monkey at the front of the house digging in one of my garbage bags - ever notice that the garbage man is never on time when you are ready for him? So I had to go outside and pick up an odd assortment of small yogurt containers, chocolate bar wrappers (the last of the Halloween candy :) and other bits and pieces I no longer recognized!

Koreans believe they will receive good news when the cry of a magpie is heard. The Chinese believe it is the messenger of good news and fortune. In fact, it's name in Chinese means "bird of joy"