I was enchanted by the actions of a little laughing dove this afternoon. While I was talking on the portable phone on the balcony outside, the little dove perched on the railing and then hopped down between my feet, cooing all the time. One of our dogs frightened him back onto the railing where he walked over and climbed onto my outstretched hand. I was mesmerized by this little fellow puffing out chest as he softly cooed and once he hopped back onto the railing I fetched the camera. I wondered what he was telling me and looked up the dove in my bird card book. The dove “signifies peace and hope for the future” and “dove energy harmonises and aligns the energy in its environment.” Good – just what I needed!
My mom passed away 6 months ago today and this little encounter reminded me of another very special experience that we had with a bird. Almost 8 years ago, my mom and I bumped into a friend at the Valyland Centre late one afternoon about a week after my dad had died. Our friend too was in a traumatised state, her elder son who was a very good sportsman having had an op to remove a malignant tumour from his heel. While we were commiserating with one another, a little white eye fluttered down from the tree beside us and sat in turn on each of our heads! It felt like a benediction. We laughed with joy – it is not every day that one stands in the entrance of a shopping centre with a wild bird on the head!
Like DH Lawrence with his snake at the waterhole, I have felt truly blessed. Is it a coincidence that angels have wings?
Viv
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Hi Viv, glad to hear you’re back safely, hope all went well, I thought of you. I wonder if this little dove is the same as the one which often visits Lucille up the hill from you. They are away overseas at the moment, but i know that “Alfred” (they’ve even named him!) comes to visit regularly and walks into their kitchen if the door’s open, and has even flown into their bedroom when they were still in bed! He often comes at just the time when she says she needs it, and we also came to the conclusion that it’s a very special little bird. Hope to see you soon, love Barbara x
Lovely story Viv.
What a delightful experience Viv and with such perfect timing.
Hi Viv,beautiful experience! Just don’t believe that all winged creatures are angels. We are privileged to have 50 year old trees in our garden which attract many birds. This year we had about a dozen weavers nesting in our highest tree. I could spend the whole day watching these beautiful little fellows working tirelessly to prepare the perfect nest and win over the girl of their dreams! But….then along come the HADIDA’s(spelling?) noisy, messy and aggressive. Pity the poor weavers nested below the perch of those winged devils when they empty their copious bowels! We were also invaded by a squadron of 6 white-necked crows last Sunday which saw every small dove and “wit-ogie” scatter for shelter. Did a higher power have a hand in ensuring
that I was given a “katty”(Catapult) as a Christmas gift by my neices last year? Ek vra maar net!
I think it is time that our restaurateurs became more innovative, socially responsible and environmentally friendly by adding certain “indigenous” items to their menus such as
Succulent Cair(o)o Goose dribbled with honey /orange juice etc (copyright on recipe pending)
Crow Mignon
And then we will have to find a more flavoursome and mouthwatering name for the Bostrychia hagedash. After all, what lah-de-dah will go for ‘Hadeda’.