June 3^rd

Today is the day. Exactly fourteen days after hatching. Freedom.

May 3^rd

Bella and Bobby set up their nest. Nice and cozy, in a safe cool place high on a back-porch pillar where no wind or rain could find them. 

May 8^th

Bobby left Bella to rest there. She watched as he flew. 

May 20^th

She waited and watched. Quiet and still. Until Bobby returned to her side. And on that day, one little head, then two, peeked out from behind her. 

Each day, the squabs grew bigger. Bella cuddled them. She fed them. Then one day, there was Bobby. Bringing her food. Checking on the brood. Again he flew, keeping watch from a distance. 

The babies fought for attention. She fed them one by one. Back and forth. And when they had their fill, she nestled them beneath her. Warm and soft. To rest and sleep.

The three sat side-by-side pondering if today was the day. Bobby watched from the fence. He watched from another pillar. He fluttered about nervously. He watched from a fan blade as it spun him around. 

Eventually, Bella gave them space as they huddled together. Secure. 

The babies grew independent of each other. They made space between them. Bella watched from the fence. Then all at once, they fluttered away in unison. It was their moment. Up and away. Strong and confident. To the largest tree. She followed behind them never looking back. 

Now the smallest one huddles under a bush. And there is Bella. Still a mother, she runs after her baby along the ground searching as he hides behind the branches. They’re playing hide and seek. 

The nest sits empty. 

After taking flight, the family makes their home under a shrub with access to shade, seeds and water from Zulu’s pond. Zulu is the magnificent tortoise who lives here too.

After a week, with their babies grown, Bella and Bobby begin to frolic, flying about cheerfully, landing on a high fence to sit side-by-side, swooping down to take a drink from the waterfall, swinging from a cable, and poking around in the grass for a meal. They bask in the sun dressed in shades of soft brown and grey. Bobby is courting Bella. He hoots and whistles, and she is happy.

One morning, Bobby finds a sturdy twig with two small branches attached to it. He takes it into his beak and flies up to the pillar where the last nest was built. This time, he places twigs on the opposite side of the same pillar. And a few days later…there is Bella! Starting a new family.

The mourning dove is a gentle bird, its soft cooing and graceful presence evoking a sense of tranquility. Serenity. Well-being. It symbolizes peace, love, and the promise of a brighter tomorrow.