Today was another beautiful deep, blue sky day. Never saw a cloud. Noticed the Lord is using his tortillon to blend his green colors closely now. Can’t count as many different greens in the landscape. Ate my breakfast in the porch swing and enjoyed watching the birds on the feeders. My yard was mowed yesterday and the male cardinals are so pretty against the crayon green grass.

Had lots of Eurasian doves in the yard today. Don’t know what brought them. Haven’t seen them in a while. They are so pretty, pale gray and light tan. Their tails are long and squared off. They have a black collar around their necks and if you get close enough you can see white feathers outlining the collar. They eat on the ground under the feeders. Poured a cup of seeds on a platform feeder and one of the larger ones sat up there enjoying the sunflower seeds.

These doves aren’t native to the United States. In the 1970s a few escaped during a pet store robbery in the Bahamas and the owner just let the other 50 escape too. They migrated to Florida and then Alabama. In the 1990s the doves spread to the northern states. There are so many of them now they are on the least concerned conservation list of threatened species. The doves get along well with Fatty the squirrel, happily eating and scratching around with him under the feeders.

Sometimes a few mourning doves travel with the Eurasian doves. The mourning doves have pink feet. Their feathers are deer brown with little gray caps on their heads. Their little heads bob with every step. The males have iridescent pink and green feathers around their necks. When the sun hits them just right you can see the pink and green feathers gleaming in the sunlight. Most birds fill their beaks with water and tilt their heads back so the water runs down their throats. Doves drink from the bird bath and never raise their head till they’re finished.

Well, heard from a neighbor today we have a skunk on our street. Lord help me because I know it will move in over here and probably spray me and Penelope. Raccoons are bad enough but a SKUNK! Researched a little and it’s legal in Alabama to have a pet skunk but not a pet raccoon. Seriously! Guess I could get middle vet brother to remove the skunk’s scent gland and make her our house pet. NOPE! Y’all pray it moves on. Just read skunks hate original scent Pine-sol. Putting that on my grocery list. Maybe raccoons hate that smell, too.

Had an enjoyable phone conversation this afternoon with a cousin’s son. He’s such a sweet, genuine young man. He had some family history questions and was interested in my cousin who piloted the space shuttle Endeavor in 1998. I could hear his darling little son babbling and playing around. Brought a smile to my face on a late lonely afternoon.

Its amazing to me how just a little human interaction can bring such a bright ray of sunshine. I had seen a truck, just like Chief’s, turn the corner up the street and for one brief nanosecond, I thought Chief’s here now. Just as quickly as I realized it wasn’t Chief the phone rang. Divine intervention, I don’t know. And yesterday, I was unhappy having spent another holiday without Chief. I should have gone to see the grandchildren. Anyway, the doorbell rings and my nephew was standing their with a beautiful hanging basket of geraniums. He’s such a sweet man. I love him!

Loneliness is a sad word. You can be lonely in a house full of people. But a moment of human connection turns on the sunshine. My friend is such a good neighbor to some elderly ladies in her neighborhood. I know without her and their human connection their lives would be dreary. She brings light to their worlds so often.

The need for human connection is a basic need. The most important things in our lives are our connections to others. People who have regular contact with family and friends and their community experience less depression and anxiety. And research says we live longer. Human connection doesn’t have to be always be words. A cup of coffee with a friend, a walk or hike, or even a hug after a long day goes a long way. Human connection makes you feel valued and understood and gives you a sense of belonging.

“Human connection is the most viral aspect of our existence, without the sweet touch of another being, we are lonely stars in an empty space waiting to shine gloriously.”— Joe Straynge