Norma Jean

A while ago I showed you a couple of photos of mourning doves, but none I've been able to capture have been as fabulous as this one.

It was taken by a dear friend, and I've mentioned it before but it seemed the right picture for this morning.

My friend had just planted this beautiful hanging basket and hung it immediately beside the front door protected a bit by a small porch. This enterprising bird saw the basket and promptly moved in that same day.

She must have had an eye for colour and beauty. About a month or so later the pansies were pretty bedraggled, my friend didn't want to water them and disturb the nest. The comings and goings of the family never bothered this calm and tranquil mother nor her off-spring - but we did name her Norma Jean for being the epitome of a dumb blonde. If it had been any other bird - don't you think she would have found a less visible and lower traffic area to raise a brood? Beauty was obviously more important.

Finally two little heads emerged and mum was kept busy feeding. The two babies evetually fledged but didn't go too far. They hung around the driveway for the longest time right through fall.

Since it's another gray day in Grey County, it seemed to me a cheerful picture to post today and a great story - there are more things under the sun....