When the young man I mentioned above, died, there were a number of oddities involving ravens the first few days and weeks.

* The first one was when the body was found- he'd been missing on the mountain for four days- quiet, watching ravens were sitting all around in the trees surrounding where the body lay. There had been NO assault on the body, although that is standard. (Keep in mind that this is Alaska and here Mother Nature claims many for her own.)

* When the party notified the other groups by radio that he had been found they all turned back to base. A raven came from somewhere behind and circled one group that had been especially close to the young man in life then turned and flew back calling melodiously. One of the group said, There goes ___________.

* One person who had been especially close to him was walking on a hard pan road close to town when a raven landed on the roadway ahead of her. He looked at her then strutted back and forth. She spoke to him and he cocked his head and warbled then lifted off and flew away.

* One person drove into a grocery parking lot and before she even stopped the car a raven landed on the hood (bonnet) and walked to the windshield and stared intently on a packet of french fries she had on the dash board. She rolled down the window and laid a fry onto the hood. He backed off until it was laid down then came forward and picked it up and flew away.

* A raven walked through an open door into a small liqor store/newspaper outlet and they had to shoo him out.

* One friend wrote a song about him in which she called him an eagle. Then she had a dream in which he told her, "I'm no eagle! You know I'm a raven." She changed the lyrics immediately.

To this day when a raven speaks to me, I greet him as Brother.

(I would love to think that we have that option. I want to experience the world from above. I just wish we had a clearer view ahead)