The Cardinal and All Things Red

My favorite bird is the cardinal. I hear them all the time when we walk through the park, but don’t get to see them much - until this week. There was what must have been a youngster sitting on the path in front of us. Then he flew to a low lying branch nearby and just sat there - waiting to be photographed. I could also hear the chirps of his companion as they always hang around in pairs. It was so lovely to get a closer up view of this fine feathered friend. Then I wondered what else have we seen in the color “red” lately and randomly scrolled through my camera roll for the last nine photos with that color in them. There was a beautiful sunset, Jane Austen’s brick house, furniture in our old condo, leaves in the US Botanic garden, berries in the park, bridesmaid dresses/pants at a colleague’s wedding, red pepper flakes and tomato can, a bandanna I painted on the last custom portrait, and a spray bottle for water. It was an interesting exercise and something to write about. Wonder what the next subject will be? 

Horses, Squirrels, Birds and Fall on the National Mall

This is the first day we had to wear jackets and gloves for our morning walk. It was unusually quiet too. Sunday is always less busy in our neighborhood, but there was something in the air. A lot of the gardens by the Smithsonian buildings have been pulled up and are being replaced with seasonal plantings. I heard the cardinals in the Hirshhorn garden, and caught one standing on the wall. They are my favorite bird and I knew his partner was close by. Along the Mall were park police atop two imposing and beautiful horses. It’s been a while since we have seen those incredible animals. And of course the squirrels were scurrying everywhere. There was a chubby one munching on his latest find getting attention from all the passers by. These squirrels are constantly interacting with visitors and having their photos taken. Almost home we heard the blue jays squawking in the Botanic Garden, hiding in the leaves so I couldn’t quite get a clear shot. This summer was exceedingly hot, so this cool air was a shock to the system. One tends to walk a lot faster when the season turns to fall. But not so fast as to stop looking at all the lovely things around us. 

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Male Cardinal in the Birdbath

We have a very tiny patio garden and one of the features is a solar powered bird bath. It attracts a variety of birds - mostly sparrows and doves - but every once in awhile robins and my all time favorite cardinals stop by. The squirrels and bees also enjoy sipping from the gurgling water. Cardinals are so pretty and handsome. I know their chirp and always look for the mate because they always come in pairs. With out of town guests here this week, we spent more time on the patio side of the house when a lot of bird activity goes on in the late afternoon. I’m not sure how they see me through the glass patio door, but I oftentimes sneak up to catch photos or movies before they fly off. A male cardinal showed up and actually was splashing around in the birdbath - a very rare sight. I posted the video on my Facebook page and it got almost 500 hits. The next day, his partner came by and I took a video of her doing the same thing. She got not even sixty hits. Granted, the bright red plumage does make a big difference. Nevertheless it is an interesting observation. I caught a crow rummaging around a garbage bin yesterday. I have a feeling he would have a better response than the female cardinal. 

The Cardinal Christmas Ornament

We rarely buy Christmas items these days. Since we moved from Milwaukee we left all things Christmas behind except for one box of shiny bright ornaments and the stocking my mom knit for me when I was a baby. We usually get fresh greens and hang them around the house. This year we were going to our friends home for dinner and thought it would be nice to bring along a little something. We thought an ornament would fit the bill. So we went to a little Christmas shop in McLean after brunch. We looked to find just the right thing. After searching for a few minutes the cardinal ornament just stuck out from all the rest. It looked so pretty against the snowy backdrop. I like snow in pictures and on objects or on TV - but not the real thing anymore! I've always liked cardinals, and birds, so we decided on this one. Based on the reaction of our friends, it was a good choice. They added it front and center to the already beautiful tree. So if they are anything like us they will remember who it came from - which is the best part of the season!