The photograph of a lady cardinal is a little blurry, but I didn’t want to get too close and cause her stress. I would never have seen her if I hadn’t cleaned the bird bath that sits near the tree she has built her nest in. I was scrubbing away algae with a brush, making what I know now, in hindsight, was a dreadful noise, and suddenly she flew out of the japonica bush. Later, I quietly returned and stood a respectful ten feet away, and I just made out her profile. How beautiful. Somehow, she was steadfast through the horrible noise of my neighbor’s landscaper and his huge mowing machines. She is still there today and hopefully, soon there will be the peeping of baby cardinals.

This post is part of Xingfu Mama’s Whatsoever is Lovely Photo Challenge.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (NIV)

~Phillipians 4:8