Lost in the storm.

After the big rainstorm the day before, I found a little rock dove on the ground. He didn't make it in the downpour. His feathers were soaked and matted. I wonder if he was already in trouble and unable to keep his feathers oiled.

I know it's kind of odd, but I enjoy the opportunity to examine birds up close, so I keep them when I find them. They go in the freezer until I'm ready to do a study. Today I did a drawing, but his subtle colors will be more interesting in paint. An orange beak, blue iridescent spots on his wings, and a rosy pink chest - not what I expected. Lots of these doves fly through our pastures, but they move so quickly I can never see their true colors. They just look like grayish brown stubby birds. God makes so many things more beautiful than we ever see or take notice of.