...And A Partridge In A Flower Box

Last Monday, (the day I started chemically starving my ovaries Lupron) I noticed an odd thing outside my bedroom window.  The day before we put up new shutters (well, we've had them in the basement for four years, but we just got around to painting and installing them) and added our usual flower boxes underneath the windows.  Our bedroom faces the street, so it gets lots of sun and we like to look at something pretty as the summer progresses.  On Monday morning, I saw a bird sitting in the flower box.  Just sitting there.  Staring at me:

Awwww, I thought, isn't that cute?  And, in all the years that we've put up these window boxes, I've never, EVER, seen a bird sitting there!  And, just staring at me?  Weird!

I had no idea at the time what kind of a bird it was-it wasn't a pigeon, was too large for a sparrow, definitely wasn't a crow.  But, it was odd that it wasn't afraid of me, that it wasn't getting spooked and flying away.

The bird finally did fly away, and I saw this:

Looks like the beginning of a nest, doesn't it?

Sean and I watched, fascinated, as every day the birds kept building the nest (yes, there are two birds involved in this one).  There's even a bit of blue landscape tie in the midst of all these twigs and grass blades.  Sean was a little worried that either the cats would freak them out or that we now can't open our bedroom windows or that the concept of watering the flowers is now kaput.  But I was engrossed in this process.

So, starting on Friday the bird (birds?) didn't leave the nest.  Just sitting there again.   And, on Saturday we finally saw THIS:

Yup, two little eggs.  Sean figured out, finally that they were mourning doves, which are common around here, and we did (okay, I did) some research.  They're monogamous birds, both parents incubate (mom at night and early morning, dad during the day) and feed the hatchlings something called crop milk, which they produce in their upper digestive tract.  We can tell the difference between male and female now, because the male has these cool iridescent feathers along the back of his neck and head.  The babies should be hatching within the next 5 days or so.  The not-so-cool part?  Doves tend to rebuild nests in the same place if they feel secure and can have up to 6 broods a year.  We might be screwed on the flower front, at least this summer.

Now, I'm totally not trying to read into this, but really?  Doves building and incubating a nest THE DAY I START LUPRON?  Symbolism, perhaps, or just coincidence?  I'm going with symbolic, seriously, because why now, after all this time?  I have never had something like this coincidentally happen before.  I mean, look at the symbolism of the dove to begin with -peace, faith and hope.  Because doves form pair bonds, they're common symbols of love, specifically marital love, and are mentioned in the Old Testament (Song of Solomon, 2:10-12, which is used frequently in Christian marriage ceremony readings) In ancient Christian tradition the dove is a symbol of mothers and motherhood, specifically the Virgin Mary.  Many people see doves as the reminders that miracles are still possible.  In Hinduism, doves are seen as messengers from the divine.

Should I still see this as symbolism or just a weird coincidence?  Should I not even think of it at all so I don't drive myself even more insane than these hormones are already making me?  I don't know.

All I know is that it makes me happy to see this right now.  And, I'm just going to go with that.