A LITTLE LATE IN A RESPONSE, BUT I JUST FOUND THIS SITE.
First off, let me say I was born and raised in Des, Moines...(actually the OLD 4-Mile). Those were the 40's and 50's. Crows were part of everyday life. They were here long before man began "settling" the area. Their "caw-caws" were comforting as a young boy out in the woods. Crows are a very intelligent bird, and studies have proven they can count up to four. They always have a lookout perched in a tree, or a fence post. For example, if a group of four hunters enters their domain, and only three come out, they sound a warning call to the rest of the flock.
I'll admit they can be a pesky bird when people share their habitat. They are a bird of opportunity and will use that to their advantage.
I suppose I'm lamenting when I say I miss their caws. I'm sure as you grow older, you will look back and feel the same. It's part of life's nostalgia. I reside in Utah, now where there are no crows, just their cousin, the raven. Their 'caws" are similar, but their cries takes me back to a better time when I was a Tom Sawyer along 4-Mile 'crick' listening to the crows and other birds.