Yesterday afternoon, I was relaxing on my deck, listening to my favorite iTunes playlist, when Prince’s “Girls & Boys” came on.

Now, if any of you know the song, the lyrics are irreverent, but the tune is infectious, danceable, and nearly six minutes long. I particularly love the mix of English and French lines.

A few seconds into the song, a baby cardinal flew onto the Butterfly Bush beside my chair and sat quietly, listening.

At first, I didn’t move, afraid of disturbing this inquisitive baby bird, mere inches from me!

About two minutes into Prince’s funky-jazzy jam, I couldn’t help myself and started bouncing, head-bobbing, and weaving in my chair, certain my old-lady moves would scare my new animal friend away.

Maybe it was the incredible baritone saxophone, or the duck-like sound from the guitar hook, or maybe, like me, this baby bird recognized that Prince was one of a kind.

Whatever the reason, that sweet little bird sat through the entire song before flying into the thick of my Leyland Cypress trees.