The Silver Lining

In the midst of a sunny Sunday afternoon feathers flutter as a flock of 29 homing pigeons leave their loft with wings that dance across the sky, replicating the silver lining of a cloud.

After witnessing this event several times with the kids in the car, I wanted to take a closer look, so I headed out with the kids and some friends to visit Kelly Waugh & Laura Marino at Island Ceremonial White Dove Releases (www.islanddoves.com) at 1970 South Road, Gabriola. This is home to 130 beautiful birds that are well cared for and fed. The owners make a special feed for the birds by combining hard red wheat, peas, popcorn, safflower, milo, flax seed and barley. A tour around the property gives more insight, there are the white racer homing pigeons (a descendent of the rock dove) which can be taken to special events and released, getting home in incredible timing and creating a spectacular memory at weddings, memorials & special celebrations. The beautiful and alluring Indian fan tail pigeons, which can make a fantastic sight in the white heart shaped display case. The Birmingham rollers were fun to watch, the just seemed to fall from the sky spinning backward somersaults with amazing control and then in an instant they were back to regular flight. They also have Donek pigeons (a greek diving, spinning bird) and Oriental Rollers from Persia and Asia minor.

We learned quite a bit & have been busy since, my daughter was allowed to take an egg home so she's busy since making a nest and putting one of her stuffies on to see if it will hatch, Kelly of course knows it isn't possible but being mom I need to play along. Sumbitted by: Tina Lynch