A little bit morbid (PG-13)

Today I finally was able to get a photo (or 2) of the cardinals that frequent my yard. I'm writing a piece about the cardinals that have spent the summer with us.

I recently wrote a blog entitled "Birds, Bees, Flowers and Butterflies". There are pictures of all but the birds. I get to listen to the birds, but rarely am I able to catch one with my camera.

This summer I've spent a lot of time thinking about the family of cardinals we've hosted. It's a long story (which I'll save for another day) but it has a lot to do with parenting. Trust me. I've tried repeatedly to get pictures to accompany the story but the birds are elusive. These days, I rarely go out in my yard without my camera. This morning was no exception. Several times I "flushed" birds - apparently there are a few that are nesting or otherwise making themselves comfortable in/around our yard. It's hard to get a photo when you catch them by surprise.

Ultimately, I think I've figured out the problem regarding my ability to get a snapshot of these guys..... maybe it's Alabaster the cat, my lapdog. Al follows me everywhere. He is seriously interfering with my bird-watching. Once I find a "hang-out" for the birds, if I spend 2 minutes laying in wait...along comes Al.

I've been spending time in the back part of the yard, hanging out near the bird feeder. It's a great place to meditate, read the Bible, write in my journal, etc. Also, I'm trying to let the birds get comfortable with my presence. Alabaster loves to join me. I've suspected this is making it trickier to lull the birds into a sense of comfort. Especially after he brought a couple of finches into our sun room. I have to admit, they are justified if they are leery. This week Al, the killer cat, brought in a bird that didn't make it.

So far Al mostly brings in live stuff - frogs, lizards, mice, birds. Alas, I think this poor birdie had a heart attack. He was alive when Al brought him in. I'm sorry for the morbid picture, but the little guy deserves to be remembered. Al is only doing what comes naturally. I'm in conflict over the natural surrounding (my backyard) and the natural behavior (Al) and the tragic interception. Meanwhile, I really want to get some decent pictures of the cardinals. Hopefully not in repose.