Tags
Birds, Black & White, Children, Crab, Florida, Humour, Introspection, Lads, Laughter, Nature, Pelican, Photography, Sea, Sebastian Inlet, Smiles, Sunrise, Sunset, Tolerance
I believe one could be accurately classified as adequately tolerant if one is the sort that will allow onslaughts of slimy, smelly cadavers to be tossed onto one’s head in a great, heaving torrent from the heavens above.
Well, let me back up a bit.
It began as a glorious morn. The sunrise pinching the sky, rosy light playing on the edges of perfect little waves. Seagulls sailed above, pelicans lumbered contentedly along the swell. It was a fine and chipper morn, indeed. 
Then, I became possessed with the idea that we had to go romping to the inlet to get some pelican photos. This struck me as a most fabulous plot. So, after the usual tottling about with errands, we were soon humming along on our way to Sebastian Inlet. And how beautiful it was, smiling away, water scintillating, dinosaur-headed wood storks sauntering up to us like teenagers with their wings jammed in their pockets, hoping that we may be crawling with fish heads to bestow unto their clanking bills. A nice breeze tussled through the palms, and I noticed a gopher tortoise shuffle by, munching on some fresh, sun-baked grass. It was a fine day, indeed, but no sight of pelicans.
I meandered over to the rocks that separate the tidal pool from the channel rushing into the sea. Scrabbling onto the great rocks, camera almost colliding with shattering death as it oscillated back and forth from my neck like a pendulum (I always forget it will do this…), I became conscious of a permeating dead-fish odour. Promising. I clambered along, just below where the fishermen greatly enjoy cutting fish, and poised on the rocks were my lovely brown pelicans, blue-eyes smiling away at me. About 12 of them were clustered there, males, females, and juveniles. I nestled within inches, all crumpled up, and in position. The birds were a bit nervous, but overall, accepting of the giant, black eye clicking in their faces.
Was entering dream-camera-pelican-loving land, delightedly, when suddenly I felt something very small, very wet, collide with my head, and the eyes of a nearby pelican glazed over and seemed to be debating whether to lunge forth and swallow my head. He thought better of this, however. A sea of giggling also fell down from above. I began to gaze up, when another smelly little wet thing slapped me on the shoulder and then spilled onto a rock. I grabbed at it. It was the corpse of a little shrimp. Poor shrimp. I held it out to the pelican. Suddenly, my whole hand was inside pouch of pelican. This was an odd experience. I had always wondered what it felt like in there….rather rubbery…hand somehow made it back to freedom. Hmm…not slimy either. Shrimp was gone. Pelican looked at me with tilted head and backed away slightly. (This is one weird human, mates…) Huge guffaws of laughter spilled down from above. I looked up, only to be met with a sea of dead corpses sailing down, and squabbling pelicans all flopping about frantically to seize the things right off of me. It was fabulous.
“She’s taking photos!” the wee lads chimed from the heavens.
Yes, that’s generally what I do…don’t know why…look at all one must endure…
Harrowing world, photography.
I grabbed some stray corpses and tossed them to my birdly companions. The lads seemed to like this. Nutter crawling around snapping photos on the white-splotched, scale-glazed, slightly blood-stained, fetid rocks doesn’t mind having dead-bodies thrown right onto her head in a torrent at all, and even sticks her hand into pelican pouches- we like this one! Oh bother….
And following that adventure, I endured chattering youths following me about like those cheeping baby chicks that run along behind the harassed hen everywhere she flees. Ended up drenched, of course, rushing after phantom manatees that rush by like champion swimmers, and vanish, then being splashed by grinning dolphins. Almost bitten by a wee crab. Yes, he wanted to bite me, love bite I imagine. A wave nearly took me under as I was snapping away….more laughter from behind, above on the jetty, and all around. I guess I’m an ambulating sack of amusement.
Ah…
No better life than this. And to end it all, the sunset was glorious.
Cheers,
Autumn Jade
A Day in the Brine 
So enjoyed , this read from , as though I was a bloke looking on . Smiling at the sight of the happy photo tacker. My smile becoming wider and wider wider and wider , seeing such joy. before me , unfolding before my eyes.
Oh thank you matie!! I thought you would enjoy it 😀 Most ebullient!! So glad!!
I love your colourful use of language (that’s the first time I realised a sunrise can pinch the sky) – you give your writing such a unique, original flavour.
Thank you, ardently appreciate the feedback! Haha, yes, it seems to pinch the sky to me sometimes. 😀 Thank you for dripping by. Cheers,
Autumn Jade
Truly a day to remember. Thanks for the post 🙂
Thanks so much! It was a groovy time. Cheers!
The best thing about reading this is that I can see this happening. I can almost imagine you slipping around on the rocks and saying “Woah! I almost fell!” Fabulous. Brought a smile to my face this post did!
😀 Too many grins to count.
Love the pictures and the descriptions.
Thank you! Cheers
You’ve been nominated for the Beautiful Blogger Award. Info here: http://me0wz.wordpress.com/2012/08/29/beautiful-blogger-award/
Thank you so much!
You’re welcome! 🙂
Most welcome 🙂
Brilliant story, had me giggling 🙂 And great shots!
Oh thanks a groovy grand. Too fun! Thank you for sluicing by and commenting, very appreciative. Grand! Cheers,
Autumn Jade
I love how you tell a story with your images as well as your words.
Aye, I have too much fun with these wee posts. The images tend to evoke the rambling words that come forth. They are dear chums, walking hand in hand. Thank you for sluicing by and having a look leaving a comment, much appreciated. A good many cheers to you. Extremely impressed and inspired by your blog and wonderful photography. Fabulous!!
-Autumn Jade
Not only can I imagine you doing this, I can imagine it happening to me – even though I’ve never had dead shrimp corpses thrown on my head, or stuck my hand into the mouth of a pelican. Maybe I will now that you’ve paved the way. I love the mother hen word painting. I’m sure kids adore you – especially adventuresome little boys who can’t believe their eyes – a full grown woman having the kind of fun they’ve only dreamed about! Write on, my smiling friend. “)
The ultimate quote, “I’ve never had dead shrimp corpses thrown on my head, or stuck my hand into the mouth of a pelican. Maybe I will now that you’ve paved the way.” I roared. Oh yes, children are quite astounded and fascinated, always want to do what I’m doing (to a watchful, sober-minded, stuffed-frog sort of parent’s dismay)….Oh thank you for reading, I was thinking of you after I had finished and secretly hoped you’d slip by and enjoy. I have another such adventure I will be posting soon, with you as my ideal reader again. Thanks so much, and many cheers and guffaws, you inspire me, so! -autumn jade
Glad to oblige! I can’t wait to read the next episode. I just can’t match you episode for episode when you go putting your hand down the mouths of wild animals and birds. Falling down – you’re on, but the hand in mouth thing – you’ve won HANDS DOWN!!! No I mean HANDS IN!!! OK, I mean, I’ve just got to hand it to you!
You are a riot my dear groovy friend! Cannot stop the laughter….oh too grand. Hahaha I recall informing you, I have a magical ability with zee animals. Some dragonflies were perching on me the other night and I thought of you and our little snippet of dragonfly conversation. I named one “yellow tale”. He’s perched on me every time I show up (over the past few days). I should teach a class on dragonfly chi and the art of getting animals to allow human to insert hand into mouth. I am sure there is massive demand for such a class. I can throw in wild mouse-charming as a bonus. “Students will also learn how to get wild mice to come running to them at twilight like trained puppies, as an added bonus to this extraordinary new class! With this new skill, you can then terrify your walking partner and bask in the glory of getting them to scream at an unnaturally and embarrassingly high vocal range, and then dart fast away like very small lasses from a tiny, innocent mouse you have secretly charmed. A great boon! Sign up today! Hurry, filling up quickly!” I am sure my classes would be overflowing. 😉
Now who is laughing out loud. I will come right over there and be the first to sign up for your class! Who wouldn’t want to charm wild animals? I have a friend that got into a bear fight. I’m sure he would much rather have learned from you how to charm the wild critter instead. He would have had a bunch less scars! Your class offeres tangible benefits to those of us who enjoy hiking, swimming, etc. I heard the other day, here at the coast, the whales were a little too close to the boats, and they put up signs warning kayakers to avoid going out. Meanwhile one Avila Beach pelican met his end when a whale swallowed HIM whole. Never mind just the arm going into the mouth. So, please stay away from whales until you are REALLY sure this taming wild animal thing works!!
I smile at the thought of it, my dream class. There is really a genuine sort of peaceful energy at the root of it that I think would greatly decrease nasty encounters and greatly increase awareness. Very sad to hear about bear-brawling incident with your chum, and the fate of the dear pelican is quite interesting… No I have not gone dashing into the brine hoping to seek out whales. I usually am a lot more focused on finding sharks or having a kiss with a sheepshead. Stingrays seem to love me, follow me around
So amazing. My bear friend actually won, and neither he nor the bear lost their lives. He told the story at the dinner table, and we all laughed until we had tears in our eyes. You should have been there, but I can’t remember the story well enough to recite it. Fortunately I told the pelican story before it left my memory. I had been telling my friends YOUR story, and the poor pelican story was theirs in return – along with another wild bird in the bushes story. You are even inspiring my friends!
Oh do I wish I had been there! Oh and now you have me all interested in this rogue bird in the bushes story. The imagination is concocting all kinds of things. I share your stories too, just TOO funny. I’m so glad the guffaws are extending across the country over there to your gaggle of pals. I find that intensely gruntling to know. 😀
Fascinating, especially the part about your hand inside the pelican’s pouch.
Thank you, appreciate the comment. Yes, that was a bit of a highlight for me, as well. As much time as I’ve spent rubbing bills with pelicans, the possibility of internal pouch-probing never occured to me, but I must say, an experience I wouldn’t trade away for any passing bauble or gharish trinket. Thanks for drizzling by! Cheers,
Autumn Jade
Through your eyes, with these images and words as guiding threads, the world’s transformed.
Thanks for enticing me to see otherwise.
Thank you very much for the kind comment, much appreciated!
Reblogged this on Marsha Lee and commented:
This is one of the funniest stories I’ve read in all times. You will really want to visit this site on a regular basis because it’s always a treat.
Oh thank you luv! I had such fun writing it. You are going to love my squirrel saga. I’m waiting to obtain a particular photo before I put that one up.
Fabulous.
Thank you! Cheers,
Autumn Jade
This is really good
Delightfully silly with just the right amount of irreverence.
Har har thanks so much! 😉