1716. mourning dove story - part 1

 

two mourning dove eggs

laid in an unlikely place

day after easter 🦊❤️

Two Mourning Doves had been haunting my balcony for weeks. I didn’t think too much about it until we returned from an Easter weekend at Cape May. The day after our return, there were two beautiful white eggs in a sparse nest on top of the tool cabinet on my balcony. We were surprised, fascinated but most of all concerned about what to do next.  We looked into the matter and decided to go with the flow. 🦊❤️

1715. “hunkered down”

 

when i see his face

in the doorway of his hutch

a sigh of relief… 🦊❤️

My latest “Wissahickon Wonder” painting that is titled “Hunkered Down”. It is a 20”x20” acrylic on stretched canvas. It is of Tommy in his humble hutch abode. This is the eighth “Tommy Painting” in the series. Hope you enjoy looking at it. 🦊❤️ 

1714. being invisible

 

standing very still

while hiding behind a tree

“i’m invisible” 🦊❤️

Yulan captured a wonderfully mysterious photograph of Tommy on one of her solo hikes. It illustrates Tommy’s growing caution being outdoors as his hearing is just about gone and he is not as nimble and stealthy as he used to be. His vigilance and wariness are pretty high too. He can often be seen seeming to want to be invisible. Time moves on and changes in how the challenges of life are met. Tommy carries on as he can. 🦊❤️

1713. a job well done

 

its time is ending

lesser celandine waves bye

its job is complete 🦊❤️

Today, the invasive plant named Lesser Celandine is again the subject of my haiku and reflection. For some strange reason the plant’s ever expanding proliferation,  its lightning fast seasonal appearance and equally quick melting back into the ground fascinate me. I can only assume that there is some important purpose that the plant serves in the overall scheme of things. I don’t  know what that purpose is, but it seems to be very persistent, reliable and efficient in getting its job done annually. Bravo! 🦊❤️

1712. distractions

 

nature’s an expert

at creating distractions

that cause us to look 🦊❤️

As I stood talking casually with some friends, I found myself drifting out of the conversation because I was distracted by patches of lichens seemingly splattered on a nearby tree. It wasn’t long before our conversation shifted to the lichens on the tree. Lately I am finding that nature’s distractions are a healthy alternative to so many conversations that I find myself in these days. 🦊❤️

1711. little prayers

 

lots of little prayers

written on little papers

tucked in little cracks 🦊❤️

Every so often I like to visit the “Our Lady of Czestochowa” shrine located in Chalfont Pa. The shrine is usually bustling with pilgrims from every corner of the world. My favorite nook at the shrine is a small “cave” filled with candles, flowers, various religious items and statues of Mary and most notably hundreds of prayer requests written on small scraps of paper that are tucked into the cracks between the rocks. It is a great place to reflect on the universal truth that everyone has their struggles in life that they seek help with and also the power of prayer. 🦊❤️

1710. early birds and worms

 

empty theater

except for us early birds

claiming the best “worms” 🦊❤️

We are prone to being compulsively early when it comes to “gettin’ to where we’re goin”.  That is especially true whenever we go someplace that requires sitting,  like a movie, theater or restaurant. Just like the early birds that get the worms… we get the best seats (usually). 🦊❤️