Cardinals and Rain

Today my reflection spot was even swampier than before. Boots, of course, were a must-have. Usually, I am not a  fan of rain. Today the rain was a bit different. I found it to be energizing. Perhaps it is the spring air, or the fact that it was warm even while it was raining today. Regardless, I think my reflection spot agreed with me. Something was different about the tangled mess of woods next to me. I could almost see the plants growing. There was also more green today than there was on my last visit. The plants are not quite blooming yet, but I predict that they will within the next couple of weeks. The stream is swollen more than last time, but that is no surprise thanks to the rain. The fog has an interesting effect on the natural world. It mutes the colors of most of my surroundings, but every once in a while, there is a flash of color. Red, in particular, stands out. There is no red to be found here however. This reminds me of one of my favorite sites from home, a male cardinal on an overcast day. There is no shortage of cardinals around my house, and on overcast days, their colors pop out like firecrackers. This is especially true for male cardinals whose feathers are brighter red than the red and brown females (sorry ladies). This is so the males can attract mates. I always have associated cardinals with courage and nobleness. Now that I am older and make better connections, I have realized why I do this. Cardinals are bright red and stand out on any kind of day, especially overcast or winter days. This essentially makes them a bulls-eye for predators. However, cardinals endure despite the danger. I realize that there are plenty of brightly colored birds in the world, but I associate with cardinals the most because of my close proximity to them growing up. I cannot wait to go home for spring break and see the cardinals.