The Beautiful Ordinary Pigeon

Wayne and I took a break from chasing waterfalls this weekend and I really can't say why. Perhaps it was the muddy trails, Ginny's bad fur day or just that with the world seemingly waiting for impending illness we just needed a break from the mission.

I feel like some days, even if you love the adventure of getting out into the unknown, plodding along on old stomping grounds provides a measure of much needed comfort. It's that place at the bend in the circle where the frogs are courting so loudly that you can't even hear what your neighbor is yelling to you. It's the tall dead tree across the cornfield but in front of the pond where the red tailed hawk scouts for food.  We once saw a fox duck into a culvert and now every time we pass that spot, Luna insists on sticking her nose in so deep that I have to tug and tug to get her out. How many geese do you count? Is there water in the brook? Do you want to go past the place with the Catalpa or maybe all the Hickories? Watch out for Poison Ivy. In all of Vernon that oak along Lily pond access road is my favorite, it's the one standing alone and draped with thick vines. Don't even get me started on rocks, I never saw one that I didn't dream about bringing home!

Late last summer I saw my first Scarlet Tanager and spent a considerable amount of time admiring him. Though I tried and tried I couldn't get a good picture of the coy bird; so like a fisherman's tale of the one that got away, you'll have to take my word on that. Yesterday while walking along a farmer's field my heart skipped a beat when my eye caught plump birds on graceful wing swoop down into the field. Once landed I couldn't pick them out from the rows of black dirt; but I readied my camera and let the dogs flush them. I captured the beautiful ordinary pigeon. -Norma Manning

The pigeon is native to North Africa, the Middle East and Europe