Beyond this black forest
I stoke this fire of my soul
flickering with the breathing of the cities
and the blackbirds of fear.
With bare hands I kill these flames
that climb the air into my brain
and shiver in my name.
My heart drifts as a cloud
over the rooftops
along the rivers,
until I return, a later rain
deep in the fall.
—Thomas Bernhard, In Hora Mortis / Under the Iron of the Moon (p. 103)
s. d. stewart 
kalidurga
/ July 17, 2013Unrelated question for you– How frequently do you see orioles (the birds, not the baseball players) around &/or outside the city?
birds fly
/ July 17, 2013Pretty regularly. Both Baltimore Orioles and Orchard Orioles breed in the area, so they are usually easy to find. Both species tend to prefer large trees alongside rivers and streams for nesting, though they will roam farther away from water while feeding. Still, your best bet for finding them on territory would be near a stream or river. Check out this this map, which if you click on the little markers will give you dates and specific locations for Jun-Jul sightings in the area.
birds fly
/ July 17, 2013Hmm…for some reason that map didn’t hold the location after I published the comment. If you start typing in the Location bar at top right, it will give you suggestions you can select from. Then it will zoom in and show you the markers. This one is for Baltimore Oriole, but you can choose any species.
kalidurga
/ July 17, 2013Ah, that map is great! I zoomed in and the markers popped right up. Just used it to look for the common raven, too, and found that one’s been spotted recently right near where I live.
birds fly
/ July 17, 2013I thought you might like the map. And you probably already figured this out, but if you click on the checklists you can see what other species were seen at the same location. That’s cool about the raven! I still have yet to see one in Maryland, though I keep reading about sightings in places I frequent…
kalidurga
/ July 18, 2013I keep thinking that I hear them around, but the only one I think I’ve seen is that one out near Harpers Ferry that day. Definitely have to pay even more attention now. Thank you again for the link!