Just before noon, dark clouds were building to our west and, as the storm approached, cool winds swept across the farm, displacing the warm air that the morning sunshine had produced. As if on cue, our resident birds became active, clearly invigorated by the sudden chill.
Overhead, a quartet of cormorants, a red-tailed hawk and a Cooper's hawk soared in the westerly breeze, staying just ahead of the approaching storm. In the end, we received little rain from the darkening sky but the aerial display was rewarding enough.
Of course, as I watched those birds, I immediately thought of Jim Morrison's song, Riders on the Storm, which was popular fifty years ago this summer (just after Morrison died in Paris at the age of 27). Always intrigued by his dark lyrics, I think this morning's event was a fitting tribute to the famous poet and songwriter.
