A HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY FOR ME WAS COMING UPON A FLOCK OF VERY SMALL MOURNING DOVES THAT HAD TAKEN IN A SAFRON FINCH. The finch stayed close to one of the doves which was obviously its special friend. There seemed to me to be a great lesson here. Anybody who follows my journal and blog knows how much I like doves and pigeons... in fact, all of the members of the columbidae family of creatures. Researchers have found them to be very intelligent birds. Columbidaes can identify themselves in a mirror. This dove knows it has taken to protect a creature different from itself.LIKE NO OTHER CARDINAL I've ever seen, the yellow-beaked cardinal sits on porch rails, lava rocks by the surf, and in exotic trees.THE SEA BEHIND OUR HOUSE is home to green sea turtles that feed on algae.WE ENJOY BEING IN A GREAT HOUSE ON A GREAT LAVA BEACH. Sleeping to the sound of the pulse of the Pacific is easy.