Seasons of Doves

I wanted to update what happened during the last several weeks in our courtyard. While I was caught up with my comic book stuff, a lot of things happened.

I wrote about my mourning over my mourning doves being missing in the blog post, Dear and Special.

They came back!! And now the family has grown! Let me break it down. 

The Family consists of the original dove who started to visit our courtyard, (I call her OG), her husband (Husband), the gang of four teenagers (the Gang), and two spectators who occasionally follow the gang but leave the scene first (The Spectators). 

This is how OG came back.

I thought that OG and Husband were gone since I read that doves live only a few years. The last time I saw her she was walking so slow (it seems like this is how she walks) and her feathers looked shabby (she must have been molting with the rest of doves for the cold season since everyone looks neat now).

After 2 weeks of no sign of OG and only occasional visits by the gang, there was a dove in the planter who sat on the spot that OG used to sit. Another dove came and joined her. It was them! I was so happy. The next day when I opened the blinds in the morning OG was still there. She stayed there all day even when I closed the blinds at night. By then I was worrying, Is she OK? The next day she was gone.

I caught myself worrying for OG all the time for different reasons — I worried when she was gone, when she was there too long, and when she was gone again! I knew I needed to detach myself from her and told myself that she was fine no matter what.

After a few days, she came back with Husband. Now they stay in the planter for the good part of the day. The gang flies down daily and joins the couple for a while.

I feel joy when I find OG’s round body in the little overgrown succulents. I smile when the gang makes a commotion over the food every time they come.

I am happy with them. They are doing ok. They seem to enjoy their daily lives. The generations continue.