Date: Sat, 11 Apr 1998 14:27:51 -0700
From: Charlie Ford <cford@sysnet.net>
Subject: The Dove

Today I was doing some minor work on The Mothership, when all of a sudden
this turtle dove swoops down from a tree and lands right beside my thigh.
I saw her out of the corner of my eye, and turned to look, expecting her to
fly away immediately.  She didn't, she just stood there and looked me right
in the eye.  Almost as if she had come for a reason.

Now in my family, turtle Doves have played a role.  On the morning my aunt
was killed in the early 60's my Grandfather had a turtle Dove land on the
kitchen window sill where he was standing drinking his morning coffee.  He
always said, "He knew something was bad wrong when he saw that Dove."  he
got the news of her death a couple hours later when the sheriff called him.

Doves have also stood for good things in our family.  My Grandma says that
hearing them "coooo...." is peaceful to the soul, because it reminds us
that God is watching out for us, and that trials come, but peace can always
be found as long as faith exist.  She seemed to glean a whole lot of from
the "cooo...." of a Dove.

Me, I am just the one sitting here by this Dove right now.  It might mean
something, it might mean nothing at all.  I have to wait and see.  : )

I moved my hand toward her and she didn't move.  She stepped up to my palm
and pecked it a couple times.  She wouldn't perch, but she didn't seem to
mind the presence of my hand, my entire body for that matter.  She moved
down the length of my legs and arounfd the end of my feet.

She walked and fed around the rear wheels of the bus, circled behind me,
and eventually made full circle back to where she had landed a minute or
two earlier.  She stood there, and once again looked me straight in the
eye........, she cooed twice........., and then flew away.

Was this sort of what Noah felt when the Dove brought him the olive branch?
Was it God? fate? karma? dharma?..... or just a random act of nature and a
blind old bird seeking new sand to peck in?

Nay, I would not allow myself to think so coldly.  What do ya'll think?

Ya know, I feel better than I did when I got up this morning.  Happy
VW'ing.  : )

"On the wings of a snow white dove
He sends his pure sweet love.
A sign from above, on the
"Wings of a Dove".

Thanks for tolerating the ramblings,

Charlie Ford

Possibilities Development
(703) 684-7689
Resume available upon request
"79" VW  Bus, The Mothership
www.tiora.net/~keen/charlie/charlie.html
"Wider still and wider.....shall thy bounds be set"