I shared an important bit of wisdom with some friends on this morning, the Fourth Day of Christmas. You should expect birds from your True Love today. If you hum through “The Twelve Days of Christmas” you’ll expect to recieve Calling Birds. Four Calling Birds.

Now those who know a lot about these thing say Calling Birds is a corruption of Colly Birds. Colly is a delightful word from some region and period in England meaning grime, soot, coal-like: black.

So what should you expect that special Him or Her to send?

Well, here in Northeastern Minnesota, in the dead of winter, among the birds which linger, I doubt Colly Birds mean nuthatches, chickadees, pidgeons or eagles.

Crows! I’d say crows.

Before you lift a disdainful nose, consider our folk wisdom:

Four and twenty black birds, baked in a pie …. O! What a delightful dish To set before a king.

Once in our history eating crow was a delightful, regal pastime.

Still not many treasure colly birds much today.

As you are out and about today when you see a murder of crows you can figure that disgruntled recipients have tossed them out.

They are going for the gold tomorrow!