Daybreak

Is there anything better than early morning?

The air is still cool

the light is fresh and clean

and the birds are just beginning

to stir

and make their first sounds

I have been woken up the past few mornings

by The Cardinal,

who seems to be the

one who announces daybreak

these days.

He has a way of calling

that sounds like

tom-ayy-toe

or

burr-it-toe

and lately it has sounded like

larr-ayy-doe

so I imagine him telling us

that he had a

tomaytoe burritoe in larradoe

His mate,

who is much quieter

as she goes about her daily business,

once in awhile

can be heard

suushhing him!!!!

I swear she does!!

He sits atop the trees and just sings his little heart out.

He takes over the feeder when he's done

and only surrenders it

to her

when she lands on it,

checks the area,

and

proceeds to choose,

very carefully,

which seed she will

consume.

Her bright red beak

is my favourite

thing

about her...

and her sense

of decorum.