Last Friday Nolemana went out to feed the doves in our aviary. He came back into the house with a shocked look on his face. The doves were gone. There were only feathers on the floor of the aviary. Something had somehow gotten into the area and killed them.

I was hysterical. Seriously. Crying. Loud. Yelling. It wasn’t a pretty sight. Nolemana held me and let me cry. And cry.

We thought the aviary was secure, but something had pried up a corner of the wire where it was attached to the wood and gotten in. I was sick. I almost threw up. I couldn’t stop crying. I had to keep my mind from imagining the carnage.

Nolemana has fixed the aviary so that now, nothing can get in. I found a source for some doves and have to wait about a month for the babies to get big enough to be on their own. In the meantime, I hear no cooing during the day or at night. One of my doves loved to coo in the night, and I loved hearing him when I woke up.

I still cry. I know we live in an area with skunks and weasels and possums and raccoons. We suspect one of the first two. It happened in the middle of the night, and I didn’t hear a thing. I’m having a hard time not blaming myself.

Okay pau. No can write nomo.