Early Morning

I have enjoyed sitting in my kitchen-balcony in the early mornings recently, sipping black coffee, spending time with God.

My window faces east but, before 7:30am, the sun isn’t quite high enough to shine around the building.  It’s golden and quiet at this hour with only the sound of swallows chirping and flitting about.  I love soaking in these bits of God’s creation!

This morning, there are a group of birds—about 20—gliding and swooping in circles around the building next to me.  They look like they are having a glorious time, enjoying the coolness of this time of day, the golden sun, the wind currents gently carrying them along.  They live, apparently, in the little shack on the roof of building #4—pigeon pets—let out to fly free for their morning exercise.  The red, starred Chinese flag atop the building is their marker and now, being waved by their owner, is signaling them back home for breakfast.

pet pigeons circling a church downtown

It is a common hobby among older men in the city to keep birds.  Some keep groups of pigeons like the man in building #4.  Others keep one or two smaller birds in domed bamboo cages that they take to the park every day.  The park’s trees are mottled with birdcages hanging in the branches while the men play animated games of cards or chess with their comrades.  It seems these caged birds enjoy a morning out of the house, too!