"For me and I suspect you... "singleness" is number one. "
Agreed, Ksquared. But I have the view that people in a good marriage, especially one in which children are raised successfully, have a fuller, richer life than I do. Not likely I'll ever have that at this point, but I do hold out hope, excluding the child-raising part. I'll be happy whether it happens or not, which is a pretty good spot to be in.
This is getting pretty far off-topic here, so I should turn to thinking about photographing the whitewing doves as you suggested. I have an exposed-aggregate patio which seems to attract them for some reason .. do I remember that birds eat small pieces of gravel? Anyway, it gives me a very close-up view of them from the back door.
One of my photographs that I have hanging in my house is of a chachalaca perched in a mesquite tree. When I took the picture 25 years ago, it was a protected species in the Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge located on the Mexican border in South Texas. In more recent times, it's been seen in nearby urban neighborhoods ... or I should say heard there, as it has a very loud squawk. It's a fairly large bird and is also known as a Mexican pheasant.
Have a good week.
Justin
