In the interest of full disclosure, I had been debating ever since this happened whether I would share this story or not. I really do feel bad about it, but after the day I tried to save the dazed and confused hawk who was laying by the side of a busy road (which I consider a yang moment for me even though he perished at the hand of another) I guess I’d better unload this yin moment which happened about 2 weeks ago.
This is a dove, the International symbol of peace. They are attractive birds which making charming cooing sounds.
(Photo credit: tpwd.texas.gov)
I’ve also determined that they are not the brightest or fastest animals on the planet.
Here’s what happened. After having spent the night in La Grande, Oregon I had driven south to the town of Baker City with the intent of making a scenic loop west of the highway. As you may recall from an earlier post, I had to abandon that plan due to a wildfire along that loop road which would have forced me to backtrack. I decided to take a shorter, more direct scenic road back towards La Grande. That road took me to the little town of Haines.
As I was driving along I noticed some doves in the road ahead of me. Generally birds will fly away before you get to them so while I probably lifted off the gas slightly as a gut reaction, I proceeded. Well, as the doves took flight one of them decided he must have dropped his house keys in the road and turned right around and landed in front of me. He misjudged my closing rate and poof… he was toast. There were feathers everywhere.
It made me think of a conversation I had with a woman when I was at Crater Lake National Park, where we were discussing the suicidal butterflies. Her remark was “If God had wanted them to live longer He’d have given them bigger brains”.
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