A Little Bit of Light in Some Dark Times

The whole world has gone mad in the last 72 hours, ever since the World Health Organization declared the Corona Virus a pandemic. People are panicking and grocery stores are being ransacked like this is the end of everything. Yet, so many of us are scratching our heads at it all and especially at the toilet paper hoarding. Seriously?

I do my best to not take in to everything that is being posted on the internet. You can find the worst of the stuff regarding what is happening through your searches. You can probably find the good too if you search harder. I think it really depends on how you choose to handle things.

Personally I am a realist. I go by what I see right in front of me. Elsewhere, I try to look at the facts. It's a battle to not let fear consume me but I am winning. I have to, not just for me, but for my family and friends.

The last number of years I try to find the good in my day, even the littlest things such as making every light on my way to work, no line up at the coffee shop or a lovely nature moment. Today I had one of those moments...

As of today it has been 72 days since the pigeons left our backyard. I watched them all fly off in fear because of the Cooper's Hawk that had been hunting these backyards. As many of you know, I have grown quite fond of them over the last near 8 years. So many birds, so many names. I have been rather sad without them, especially since it is winter and it's the darkest time of the year. My daily Facebook memories of them have tore me up lately. Oh to see some of them again. Of course I know a lot of the birds are gone now, and I still miss them. I also know that some of them are still out there.

Well, early this afternoon I had a look out the kitchen window. Angie and I have been participating in "social distancing" as recommended. It's not a difficult thing for us to do since we kinda live separate lives 5 days a week. Weekends we make the best of our time together. Anyway, back to the story...

I look out to the backyard and I see a pigeon in the garden. I think to myself "is that Charlie?" I say it out loud. I second guess this. Angie says to me what I was already thinking "well you better go out and see for yourself".

As soon as I stepped outside, this bird immediately takes flight and comes right to me. CHARLIE!!!!!

She then flies out to the lawn. I sense she is nervous. I call to her, holding out my hand with sunflower chips. She comes to me and has a feed. I talk lightly to her, asking how she has been, where she has been and that I've missed her. She looks at me periodically in between wolfing down the food. I see another pigeon in the tree. I know it's her "friend". He's too scared to come down. Charlie leaves my hand and goes to ground. I throw some seeds down and she goes for them. I hope the other will come to eat but he does not. A Starling made an odd call and that was enough for these two and away they went.

Seeing her after all this time really lifted my spirits. I forgot about it being winter. More importantly I forgot about what the hell is going on in the world and the madness I have seen in our city.

I hope she comes back again soon and not wait another two months.

If you happen to be a newer reader to my blog, perhaps click on this link and meet a lot of my old pigeon friends.

I am going to try and post blogs more frequently, even if they are just short ones, sharing what I love and what you hopefully do too... animals.

Be safe everyone. And please be kind. We are all in this together.