Ravens At Play

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Niccolò Caranti

"Ravens At Play," written by Michael K. Schwartz, read by Caroline Kurtz.

"Peering across the valley, I noticed two ravens flying towards me, a common enough sight in the late afternoon here. Fighting a headwind, they moved across the valley at a steady clip and in a straight line. However, right before reaching the hillside they changed course to parallel the hill, flying right by me, picking up speed. Next, they turned at a right angle to veer away from the top of the ridge, and began a soaring descent down its face. Without any warning, the lead bird tucked one of its wings at the wrist and rolled on its back. It remained in this position for only a second before righting itself. As if on cue, the trailing bird tucked its wing and performed a half-roll as well. Not to be outdone, the lead bird turned slightly, tucked its wing, cawed, and rolled all the way around."

(Broadcast: Fieldnotes, 9/7/14 & 9/8/14)

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Beth Anne Austein has been spinning tunes on the air (The Folk Show, Dancing With Tradition, Freeforms), as well as recording, editing and mixing audio for Montana Public Radio and Montana PBS, since the Clinton Administration. She’s jockeyed faders or "fixed it in post” for The Plant Detective; Listeners Bookstall; Fieldnotes; Musicians Spotlight; The Write Question; Storycorps; Selected Shorts; Bill Raoul’s music series; orchestral and chamber concerts; lecture series; news interviews; and outside producers’ programs about topics ranging from philosophy to ticks.