How do I dove thee?

"I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach." Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806–1861)

I'm not really a bird person, at least the kind that live in the house and tell your secrets to visitors. But I've come to love doves. Doves, or pigeons, are actually the same thing but with very different feelings attached, I've fallen in love with our doves.They are pure white homing pigeons - rock doves - and they know that there is no place like home.

This evening we had a stunning release.

Kristin & I headed to Eagle. We went to Tara's neighborhood, a lil' suburbia where her house backs onto a soccer field. Three older kids and Tara's young boy, Julian, stood on a picnic table, each delicately holding a dove each until the count of three. The dogs were running free so with the height of the kids we figured the picnic tables were perfect. I clasped a dove with young Julian, his hands were very small, and we tossed the birds to the sky. The rest of the flock flew from the cage to join into the flock and they circled for almost ten minutes before heading home.

The most lovely part of all was that I finally met Tara's youngest, Miss Scarlett - she's a mountaineer already, climbing on top of picnic tables by herself and she's only 14 months! I have plans for Miss Scarlett Rae, I want her to be the youngest to release one of our doves - I give her a few months at the rate she's growing...