The Nests Of Honor

Boyfriend's garage has suddenly become a nursery.  Three children are blinking at the world from the safety and warmth of their mother's sides.

There are two families.  Their homes are ramshackle and the real estate they've chosen is not of the finest.  However, only a handful of twigs are necessary to house little beating hearts and comforting feathers.

The doves are back.

We believe that Ms. Dove from last year has returned to her former site.  Her furnishings are just as opulent.  She has given to the trees and to the sky, one baby:

Ms. Dove #1

It's on the small side, as you can see.  But as you can also see, Ms. Dove is especially concerned and delicate in her ministrations:  a soft ruff of cloudy lavender feathers rest protectively over the little one.

Now, in addition to this pretty friend, a new one has moved in.  Ms. Dove #2 lives further back in the garage.  She chose a bed of coiled tubing and not much else to raise her family.  Comfort was clearly not an option.  Rather, a safe and dark hiding place to rest motionless, waiting for the stirring and cracking of her eggs.

She has two fine, healthy babies - twin images foretelling a benign, gentle adulthood.  On the day that I took this photo, it was nearly 100 degrees, and as there wasn't much cool air circulating that far back in the garage Mother took a powder, leaving her children silent and staring.

Waiting For Mom - Ms. Dove #2

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Since then, they have ventured out of the nest, stretching their new wings, wondering at the breeze filtering through the pinions.  They'll be gone in a couple of days.