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
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.