The Legend(s) of the Cardinal

A cardinal came to visit...

While Betsy and I were walking in Riverside Park. At first I was totally oblivious, but the bright red bird caught Betsy's attention and she helped me to find it. I know I've seen cardinals before, but I took this one as a sign of hope and of all good things to come in the future. 

I knew that seeing a cardinal had many meanings, but the only one that came to me was that a visit from a cardinal was a visit from a loved one that is deceased. When I got home and started researching this I found a number of other things symbolized by a cardinal. 

Cardinals are among the most popular birds. They are the state birds of seven states and the mascots  of many teams, including the St. Louis Cardinals. They are the birds of Christmas, being one of the few Northern birds that don't fly south for the winter.  

Cardinals are symbolic in several Native American cultures. In the Choctaw culture the cardinal was a symbol for changes in relationships. In the Cherokee culture the cardinal was seen as the daughter of the sun and part of the creation story. The Cherokee also believed a  red cardinal flying towards the sun was a symbol of good luck.    

I read an article in the NY Times that many more people are taking up bird watching in the last few months. I'm not quite ready to say I'm a bird watcher, but I am interested in learning more about the birds of New York City. I've been doing some reading on the American Bird Conservancy website and I signed up for a web session on learning to photograph birds next month. Is anyone else a bird watcher?

I've continued to do more decluttering and discovered a trove of travel pictures that have long been buried. Tomorrow for Pink Saturday we'll be taking an armchair trip to somewhere cool, just the change from the summery humid weather that we're experiencing.  

As ever, thanks for visiting and take good care. Much love and wash your hands!