As I ride my bike some afternoons, I see a lone redbird swoop down in front of me. At times, I have seen more than one. However, one is what I usually see. One afternoon, as I was riding down a different street, a single redbird swooped down and took a swim and a drink in a puddle. I tried to keep still and get a picture, but he quickly flew away. I ride a three wheeled bike, in case you were wondering how I could manage to remain still on a bicycle! I love my bike. The three wheels help me to be able to get out and ride without worrying about falling or something like that. My legs are not so sturdy anymore, and the three wheels on my bright pink bike are awesome helpers to get this old lady out to exercise. If I get tired, I can just stop and rest, while still sitting on my bike. When my left foot decides it is going to slip off of the pedal, as it often does, I remain upright and safe on my bike. I have a route that I use. Sometimes, I ride for 45 minutes, which is the short ride. The long ride is an hour and a half. On those rides, I see lots of wonderful things in my neighborhood. The redbirds are my favorite, though. They remind me of my Daddy. My Daddy knew everything about nature, the woods, animals, trees, etc. He could tell you what kind of fish a restaurant was really serving, when they told you it was trout. HA! He could tell you what kind of trees you were passing by. He loved to look at everything along the roadside as we traveled, whether we were in town or along a country road. He knew all about the birds and their songs. I wish I knew all of the things that he knew about. Daddy grew up in the North Georgia mountains back when the woods were still the woods and the streams and water holes were safe, fresh, and wonderful. He spent a lot of time alone out in those woods learning and exploring. When I see birds now, I think of him. I love the little redbirds that keep fluttering by one at a time. I like to think that when the little bird flies by I am seeing a sign that my Daddy is with me, watching me, and taking care of me. I miss him so much. Thank you, little redbirds for flying into my path and for helping to keep my Daddy here with me.
