Springtime signs of new life

If you have read any previous posts, you'll know that for the past two weeks I have been waiting for the hatching of two dove eggs in a nest in my courtyard.  From reading up on these peaceful and easily adapting birds, it usually takes 15 days or so for this to occur.  Two Fridays ago I managed to sneak a picture of two perfect little white dove eggs in the nest.  So the countdown began!  Yesterday, Friday, when I woke up I did my usual morning check and noticed this.

Just a little top portion of a dove egg, so fragile that it moved when the wind blew, underneath the nest area.  All that I can assume from the evidence is that at least one of the eggs hatched. Yay!  Other than that, I cannot tell.  These are the absolute most quiet birds I have ever seen.  The parent just sits constantly on the nest all day.  I can't tell if it's the male or female bird since they switch out like clockwork a few times a day and look almost exactly alike.  Maybe these birds are so peaceful because both the male and female operate with the 50/50 mentality in mind.  How can they get frustrated when they keep things so fair?  Maybe  more human couples should operate this way and their world would be a happier place.  I guess that's another topic for another day.

I'm excited about the sign of new life, and speaking of, there are many right now.  Spring is here and the plants, animals and holiday of Easter are all signaling this.  It's refreshing to feel the warmth, see new buds on trees and hear the birds fluttering around.  Even the Oak tree in my backyard sings Spring to me.  Once a day it is full of little birds that my husband says are Cedar Wax Birds,  feeding on seeds and then bombarding everything below their flight path with YOU KNOW WHAT when they fly over in droves from one tree to the other.  It's kind of gross, but as long as you can watch their flight from afar, you are safe from getting splattered and it is really neat to see the masses in their synchronized flight.  Yet, another sign of spring because it happens at this time of year like clockwork.

 Spring is the season of hope.

It proves that nothing stays the same forever, change is inevitable and most profoundly that

in death comes new life. 

For anyone going through struggles it renews the notion to hang in there,

this too shall pass. 

The cycle of life continues, over and over,

on every scale

from the grandest of schemes all the way down to

the most minute processes. 

New struggles bring new opportunities so,

as one of the most optimistic men I have ever known, Dominic Barbaro loved to say 

"Keep the Faith!"

PS:  Speaking of Spring, Easter and Eggs, I'll be trying the Easter Egg Design Method presented in Martha Stewart Living April 2010 Magazine soon.  It oughta be fun ,and messy, even though in the magazine they make it look so easy and neat.  I'll give it a shot and let you know just how easy, or not, it is.  Then maybe you might want to try it, if you're looking for something a little different to try this year.