A Strange Phenomenon and Cloud Nine

Something very strange happens in our little neighborhood around this time of year.  It's actually really creepy at times, but so amazing.  You can not take your eyes away.  Last time it happened, I managed to film a little video for you!

Can you guess what that black, swirling cloud is, my friends?

That swirling black cloud that just gave you the heebie-jeebies.

BIRDS.  Thousands of birds congregate and fly in this great, black mass.  When my friend Lisa was here, they flew around and around our building, and the mass was so close to our balcony that we could have reached out and touched them.  Which we did not do.

But it's very, very creepy.  It's this giant black cloud, and for those of you who watched Lost, it's very much like the Smoke Monster on the island except the only sound is the beating of a thousand wings.

Oh, and when I shout "ARE YOU SEEING THIS???" in the video, it's because I forgot not to talk while filming, and was motioning wildly to my family.  And yes, they were seeing this.

Do any of you know what's going on here?  They've been doing this at random for a few months, and then they settle in the trees, tweeting like mad.  (And I just got a mental image of a thousand little birds on their cellphones sending out Twitter messages.  Oh, technology.)

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Yesterday I was doing school and I was sitting at our dining room table right next to a window.  The sun was going down and was shooting bright, orange light right into the room.  I've always wanted to try photos with backlighting, but never had the chance.  I didn't have a model.... so I took a picture of my hand.

Caroline's the name, improvisation is the game.


What do you think?  For all you photography buddies of mine, did I do it right?  This is my entry for Carlotta's Cloud Nine photo assignment.  I like the way it makes my hand look really smooth.  What you don't know is I need to moisturize.  Really, really badly.

And, don't notice the chipped finger nail polish.  Or the fact that the sun kind of cuts off part of my index finger.  I'm a newbie with a magenta point-and-shoot camera.

Love,