The Japanese black pine has a nest of mourning doves. Doves are not like the grackles, which are a raucous lot whose nests seethe with sibling rivalry. It is not unusual to find baby grackles that have been thrown out of their nest by larger siblings who want a larger share of the food. The doves are quiet. Tonight, an adult dove quietly shared a branch with one of its babies, while the other baby was in the nest.
Doves seem to form very tight family bonds.
Last year, when both babies were knocked out of the nest by some clumsy oaf who looked a lot like me, the parents alternately stood guard and gathered food, keeping their babies safe until both could fly about and earn their own keep. A far cry from the Darwinian struggles of the grackle family. I can't help but think of our family, still basking in the warm afterglow of our daughter's graduation from college. Soon she will start work, and a whole host of new challenges will arise, but for now, we are content to hang out. Like the doves, we just seem to enjoy each other's company.