Balancing on top of a spinning log in water? That's how these crows roll
Seven-time world log rolling champion Darren Hudson loves the outdoors.
You'll often find him training or teaching at Wild Axe Lumberjack AXEperience, his lumberjack theme park in Barrington, N.S., and the world champion lumberjack has taught many people to 'log roll.'
Now, he can add crows to that list.
"Never in my imagination did I think something like this would happen to me," Hudson said.
Hudson works in dangerous tree removal and about two weeks ago, when a tree came tumbling down, he noticed a nest of crows.
"I was hoping the mom or dad would show up and they didn't," Hudson said. "I was actually working that job site for two days, and I just took them under my wing."
He's been integrating 'River' and 'Vic' into the wild ever since. The pair likes to hang out at Wild Axe where they took to log rolling.
"Birds have incredible balance and these guys already like to go for rides on my hand, so I just took it from my hand, set it onto the log, and sure enough I gave it a spin and they stayed right on top," Hudson said. "Incredible to watch."
Family and friends enjoy coming out to see the birds roll, too.
Hudson's mother comes from a long line of log rollers on the Barrington River, but she's never seen anything like this before.
"I just thought, 'He's at it again,'" said Patty Hudson. "Yes, we're never surprised with what Darren is going to be coming up with next. But crows, I didn't envision."
Darren expects the crows will likely fly away any day now, but until then, this is how they roll.
"I hope that in passing on the tree tops and flying around -- and one day, if I could be out paddling in my canoe and they land on my gunnels and say 'hello,'" Hudson said. "That would be incredible, an incredible moment in life to share together, but they're wild and free, and that's the way they're meant to be."
And, if the old counting crows superstition has any truth to it, these two crows have certainly brought a lot of joy to Darren's life.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Prince Harry, Meghan arrive in Nigeria to champion the Invictus Games and meet with wounded soldiers
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, arrived in Nigeria on Friday to champion the Invictus Games, which he founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans, among them Nigerian soldiers fighting a 14-year war against Islamic extremists.
Countries struggle to draft 'pandemic treaty' to avoid mistakes made during COVID
After the coronavirus pandemic triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies and killed millions, leaders at the World Health Organization and worldwide vowed to do better in the future. Years later, countries are still struggling to come up with an agreed-upon plan for how the world might respond to the next global outbreak.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.