Pelican Tales: AwwAww

Pelican Tales: AwwAww
by
Robin Hall

There are about two nice days in Florida each year, for driving that is. Traffic up and down I-95 and I-75 is usually just a nightmare. Traffic on the older US 27 is even worse and there are no nice driving days there. All over the Sunshine state, where it rains most every day about 4 PM, there are cars rushing about with people inside sweating, cussing and hanging on to the steering wheel for dear life.

Now this mild traffic pronouncement could easily be seen by any sane tourist, other calm observer and the state's wildlife population which was NOT confined to the Everglades by any means. Most crocodiles didn't care all that much for traffic reports. They were busy scaring folks, sleeping, eating, swimming and doing whatever alligators do when people aren't watching.

Most snakes, frogs, cows, the state's 3 cougars, 15 bears, 53 deer and assorted birds DO care about all that traffic but don't have much say in the matter. Roads and cars are just about every place only plants and animals used to be, and still should be, but no one is likely to move out. People like the warmth. Animals like the warmth and quiet times of old. People win most of the time.

If we look up at the sky traffic, well, till there are flying cars, the sky traffic isn't that bad. Sure, airports annoy the locals but planes are the only way people can fly. People like to fly. Birds do this naturally, don't have to build airports or have buses, taxis and cars to get them out of airports and home to TVs, air conditioning and their swimming pools.

All these things frequently went through AwwAww's mind. Lots of other things went through his mind too. Beautiful thoughts: pretty memories of hundreds of wonderful sunsets, his many fine friends, good food, swimming, sunbathing and most of all, AwwAww thought of flying. How could anything be so marvelous as flying with his flock, each wing beat in tune with the others. Sailing, swooping, turning all in unison. "It is the most enjoyable, ecstatic feeling anyone could have," he said out loud one day. All his flock agreed.

The traffic just didn't matter when they were aflight. They could soar right over those noisy cars, land in a quiet inland pond, the huge Lake Okeechobee, Lake George, the Indian river or hundreds of other places of delight far from cars, exhaust and usually people.

Now pause a moment to imagine what this life of flight might be like. Just get comfortable in your chair, close your eyes, breathe deeply and go flying with AwwAww and his pelican friends. Imagine your friends along with you.

You take off at dawn, look east and see all the sunrises in the world. You rise higher and higher, see the purple's, oranges, blues few groundlings other than pilots ever get to witness. Your group of friends has decided to fly inland today, to feed in beautiful Lake Kissimmee. What a name. You fly in tune with your brothers and sisters in flight, wings beating to your own drummer, Owwa the soundful Owwa. The groundling's problems are for them to solve. You have flight and beauty today, tomorrow, forever.

You near the lake. Owwa's soundings stop. All are on guard, looking. Owwa's tune changes and you all descend gracefully, land, relax.

The group begins the ritual of circling a school of fish, heading them to shallow water where all can feed. The group. Life. Beauty. Food. FLIGHT.

The group stays the night there in this wonderful place. Tomorrow, who knows? The inland water way, St. Johns, Apopka?

Remember where you are now. Breathe deeply. Come back to your chair refreshed with the vision of the lives of these beautiful creatures. Pelicans, flying magicians. Practitioners of the art of FLIGHT, knowers of beauty. Birds of the kingdom. See them, look there, here.

Where there is warmth, there are pelicans. Owwa, the sounder, his brother the observer of sunrises and sunsets, AwwAww the wise, AwwAww the splendid. Come back to them another time in your thoughts, share the other stories with your friends.

There are many dazzling sights from above, many wondrous imaginationings to unfold. Return to us. Return and share your own remarkable tales. We will be here. We will listen. Write your own tales, your own wonders. Imagine what beauty you can find.

AwwAww © byRobin Hall