Mourning Dove

There is a mother Mourning Dove that has been sitting on a very skimpy nest of sticks and grass on top of a wall surrounding a patio in the townhouse complex where we live. She has been sitting there dutifully for about two weeks now. I'm not sure how long Mourning Dove eggs incubate, but it should be time for hatching soon I would think.

I have to admire her tenacity. The sidewalk is literally five feet from her. There is a dog (who barks) in one of the adjoining patios. And then Bashford Lane, a busy street, sits a mere 10 feet from the nest. But I've never seen her not there. Through the dark and chill and rain and noise she sits. I hope it all works out for the Dove and her eggs.

Starting this Friday I won't be a Development and Communications Director anymore. But starting next Monday I will be a Policy Analyst for Upper Mississippi River Basin and Great Lakes issues at the Northeast - Midwest Institute in DC. The office is a block from Union Station right downtown. So it will be an easy Metro commute. Either the Blue or Yellow line in from Alexandria and then a short hop on the Red line train to the office.

The new job happened incredibly fast. I sent in a letter and resume a couple of weeks ago. Got a call and had a face to face meeting last week. And then got offered the job yesterday. I guess I was expecting things to go a bit slower on the new job front based on my experience last summer and early fall. Remember my thought the other day about expected things not happening too much and unexpected things happening a lot more muchly?

I expect the mother Mourning Dove really doesn't care.