Bathing cardinals are so sweet

Aren't cardinals just the sweetest little birds? It's not just their red feathers that make them so lovely. I am really drawn to their feisty personalities. I swear they are always watching what I'm up to. Fresh seed in the feeder? They're there! Fresh water in the birdbath? They're there, too! Recently I realized that the cardinals also come flocking when I put the sprinkler on my new garden beds. I always put it on a slow and gentle spray for a long period, to give the soil maximum time to soak up that wonderful moisture. Well, the cardinals love to bathe in the spinkles. As soon as that water starts flowing, they are out there flitting back and forth through the spray, shaking and shimying their feathers clean. All the while, they chirp brightly with (what I can only imagine is) joy. It's a real joy for me, too! I wish they could know how much I appreciate their presence in my yard.