The morning of day #2 could not have been better. We braved our own beds in our own rooms and survived. We were stoked! Not quite ready to wake up, a strange, consistent tapping resounds in my head. My eyes attempt to tear apart and the room becomes fuzzy and blurry. Another few hours of sleep would not hurt, but something keeps forcing me to stay awake.
I get out of bed and try to locate the tapping, which is slowly becoming a little more like a pounding. My room is upstairs in the loft area, so I stand on the catwalk and try to locate the noise. Looking around the area, I’m startled when I lock eyes with a deer. I must have forgotten the cabin owner’s passion for taxidermy. Standing face to face with Bambi is not a pleasant introduction to the morning. 
Moving on…Staring out the picture window at the end of the catwalk, I realize where this thud is coming from. At the exact time I hear the thump a cardinal slams into the top of the picture window. The culprit discovered. I then understand that this crazy bird has been flying into the window nonstop for who knows how long. I watch as he slams into the window, falls lifeless to the sill and then flies back to the tree branch he’s using as a starting line. At this point, I’m wondering why I’m not being awoken by a rooster. We are definitely no longer in Texas.
Alexa continues to sleep soundly despite this devil bird’s clear attempt at a slow death. Standing on the porch under the picture window, I realize the glass is reflective. Mr. Red Feathers is seeing the mirror image of his branch. Ok. This is understandable. But, how many times does he have to experience a head-on collision with the window before he realizes he will never reap the fruits of his labor? Shooing him away does not work. He comes right back. I’m convinced that Arkansas is a very determined state and does not take no for an answer. However, the last thing I want is to discover the cardinal dead on our porch. I can’t live with his blood on my hands.
After waiting an acceptable amount of time before waking Alexa, I tell her it’s time to get up and to come check out our view. Truly breathtaking with the river directly below us and an exceptional mountain view. Enjoying a cup of coffee we hear a rooster in the distance. This is what I’ve been waiting for! A rooster wake-up call, AND at a reasonable hour! Before I know it, the cardinal slams into the window again. Between rooster calls, I hear his thump. Instantly I understand! They’re performing a morning-mix! We’ve got a steady beat going with some impressive vocals from across the river. Who needs two turntables and a microphone? Arkansas: accurately named, The Natural State.
Our view from the porch
