Poor Cardinal

The enormous "thunk" against the window late yesterday afternoon must have been Lady Cardinal. Window accidents happen around here about every four months or so; most of the time the birds survive. But this fatal impact knocked her about twelve feet to the side of the window, next to the stoop. Of course when I found her it was far too late and I could only study her as I usually don't get to study my live cardinals. At first I thought the downy feathers indicated she was a juvenile, because my cardinal pairs have been prolific this season, but that's not so; she has a cardinal adult's red-orange beak. Downy feathers are just the secret vest beneath the elegantly understated suits that female cardinal birds wear. I got to see the gradient of gray into red. I didn't know cardinal birds had such relatively large but fragile-looking, straw-colored feet. Then -- saddest words in the language -- I buried her, near a tree she seemed to have liked. And when I opened the garage door to put away the shovel I got a surprise -- a live turtle was there, apparently got in while the door was open, and it was waiting right on the threshold for someone to raise the door.