Ahhhh...a little afternoon rest
Ever have one of those lazy afternoons when all you want to do is rest? For those of you not retired (smile) yet, a good afternoon rest really helps out the body. But you have to do it just right. I found a real expert at it. A Brown Pelican I encountered sure knows how to do it right.
After two days of nothing but rain and thunder the clouds finally clear this afternoon and the sun shines bright. I haven't been able to use the camera for two days so I walk down the neighbors dock. Earlier I had seen a few Brown Pelicans in front of my little lagoon fishing in the afternoon sun as the tide begins to ebb out to sea and take lots of fish with it. While peering up the channel I happen to glance down at the floating dock. There staring up at me is one of the Brown Pelicans. This one has a brown stripe down the back of the head indicating a breeding adult. The non breeding adults have a white neck and the juveniles are mottled brown. There is one of each age/phase in the area it seems now. I fully expected this bird to be startled and take off. Instead it just yawns, gets up, and stretches and then sits down again. It is amazing to be so close to this beautiful bird in the wild. The evening sun reflects off the yellow and white feathers on the crown giving it a soft glow. It lays its head back across its back as if scratching and then its eyes begin to droop shut. This pelican is just plain pooped out. Nothing better on a sunny afternoon than a good ole snooze. Not wishing to disturb the poor bird I quietly turn and leave. A few hours later I return to watch some black skimmers going up the channel. As I go down to the floating dock I nearly trip over the sleeping pelican not realizing it was still there. It was as surprised as I was I think. The poor bird gives me a sleepy look and then waddles over to the edge of the dock. It appears torn between a swim and some more sleep it seems. There is a metal band around its leg and I figure that is why it is not so startled by human presence. This bird has been in human hands before. Because I got it up from its nap ole sleepy head decides it might as well go "fishin" and joins a few friends gulping down the mullet which seem abundant. None of the pelicans (or Egret) seem disturbed by my close proximity and they swim up to within a few feet of me while doing something they like better than sleeping....and that is eating. I only got about a hundred photos to choose from. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did taking them.
The poem by Emma Lazarus on the plaque by the Statue of Liberty beckons the tired and the poor to rest on our shores. This Pelican took it literally. That night it was still there on the dock enjoying the sunset. So I sat near it and watched it too. Someone else recently celebrated (no not the Easter Bunny) also said "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest". The older I get the more I long for and enjoy a good rest. If you haven't done it lately, take some time to rest. It'll do you a world of good. Just take a tip from this ole Brown Pelican....come along and take that rest. And be Blessed today. Harry
Hey you, want to keep it quite, trying to sleep here!
Gotta streeeetch a bit.
Ohh that feels good.
Got a little scratch there to get..yeah..that is the spot.
Now where was I, oh yeah..snoozin!
You again!. Geesh!
Well since I am up now. Might as well eat!
But that nap sure was nice..hmm..sleep, eat..tough decision..
Here comes ole sleepy head.
Hey, what ya eatin? Mullet?
Does he ever get tired of pointing that thing with the doohickey at us?
Hey you,,,watch this!
Wheee! Fish!
Watch my next trick! I would do a hand stand but I don't have any, only feathers.
See I can make my whole head disappear!
Just watching the sunset! And snooozin some more!