A cardinal just landed outside the window to my right. Missing about half
his feathers, he almost made me wonder why they are considered one of the
"hotties" of the bird world. Scruffy hardly described it. Then I heard a
Carolina Wren singing nearby and checked the front deck to see him sitting
there on the railing singing and looking every bit as rugged as the
cardinal.
    Molting is an ugly thing no matter how you sell it. Maybe that's why I
like spring. They all look pretty spiffy as they start up the breeding year.
Right now we're stuck with some fairly raunchy looks. At least some of them
are still singing. Haven't heard the silly mockingbird in weeks.
    Jerry