Last school year our dove, Ghost, who was a regular part of our magic show, died.  Since then, we have been using a beanie baby dove, which certainly has a comic element to it, but does not have the spectacular effect producing a live dove has.  Still, with our trip to Paraguay coming last summer, we knew that it was not time to rush into new pets.  Once we returned, we decided, I'd begin my quest for a new feathered phenom.

To my surprise, white doves have become very hard to find since the last time we had to purchase one.  Most pet stores around here are chain stores that carry only what their main office tells them to carry.  Special requests are not honored.  I asked several friends who attended Maine's state fair in Fryeburg earlier this month to pick up any business cards that might lead to a dove if they visited the fowl and poultry barns.  Nothing.

So I decided to go on line.  There is an eight year old (read "senior" or even "on borrowed time") white dove in New Hampshire up for adoption.  I looked into purchasing this one, regardless of his very unfortunate name "Tueki Love".  However, to get this dove would have required a bit more driving than I had time for.

Finally, I went back to a pet store in Windham, and one of the clerks knew of a bird rescue shelter two towns away.  Last Thursday, I called.  Yes, they had a pair of doves, but a lady was coming in later that day.  She was torn between the doves, finches or parakeets.  If she didn't take the doves Thursday, I could pick them up on Friday.

I know that praying that I could get these doves was kind of childish.  I know that if we pray and don't receive, it is because we are not praying according to God's will.  But I prayed, not "Thy will be done" but "Please give me these birds!"  Then I tacked on a "but I'll be content either way (yeah, right).

Friday, I called the shelter, and the lady chose the parakeets!  After work, I drove directly to Cumberland, and got the doves.  Along with the pair, actually both female, I got their huge cage, a months worth of food, grit, hay, all the dishes and perches for $50.  They are three years old, and they are best friends.  They had been owned by a couple, but when the husband died, the widow did not want the responsibility of their care.  They are beautiful and healthy and they handle very well.  I named them Flurry (the smaller one) and blizzard( the larger). 

On Saturday, I had a show at the Casco Inn residential care facility.  I used Flurry, and she worked wonderfully.  The folks loved her, and were actually more enamored by her than they were with Jeremiah, my rabbit.  My team of apprentice jugglers, LOL, have an extra large dove pan left over from the years of working with Hannah, the magic chicken, so we should be able to use both doves in their show.  And I just happened to be perusing Diamond's Magic site last night and bookmarked another dove production prop I hope is in my future.  Hey, my birthday's less than two months away, and I think I've been pretty good this year.