I live in a rural area of southeastern Mississippi on a small farm. I awake in the morning as the sun comes up, mainly because I don’t like curtains in my room. I like to wake up and the first thing I see is my pasture of horses. Every morning at least 1 – 3 horses are at the gate, which joins to the back yard. I always open the back door and say good morning to whoever is there and then start my day. Sometimes, I’ve got special visitors, my cardinals.
Cardinals are amazing birds. The males with their vibrant red and black coloring, so proud to be who they are, and the females, although not as brilliantly colored, are very striking in their way. Several pairs live at my house, raising their young and keeping down the bug population. This year the group seems to be about 15-18 birds, flitting around the place.
Some people say when you see a cardinal, angels are among us. I like the thought of having angels looking out for us. Something is comforting about knowing there are things bigger than us. These cardinals seem to be anywhere in the yard that they can be seen. In the back yard sitting on the fence panels, in my blueberry bush by my cars as I walk out the door, and even on the side yard near my hay bales and tractor. Everywhere I go in my place, I have angels looking after me.
I’ve got a 29-year-old Harlequin Macaw, her name is Harley. She’s a gorgeous, brilliantly colored bird. Red, orange, green, blue, and yellow. She’s loud and obnoxious like many large birds can be. She speaks well and with purpose. Her cage is near a window. She often gets very excited when the cardinals are outside her window. When the weather is good enough for her to be outside, she loves to throw her seeds and share them with the cardinals and any other birds that come along. I believe cardinals are her favorite though, she doesn’t show the same enthusiasm for other birds. She screams, hollers, and flaps her wings with excitement when they are in the yard.
When I see them, I whistle as they do. It’s amazing when they look my way and whistle back. The Cardinals are amazing to watch. I see them as a reminder to stop and appreciate the small things in life. Take a moment to witness the beauty of nature – the color, the sounds, the movement. Life is short, we need to live in the moment, fulfill our dreams, and enjoy life. Hopefully, witnessing a cardinal brings you as much joy and peace as it does me!!