Birds!

Roseate Spoonbill (google image) flew over our boat on the Indian River approaching Titusville, starting
another appreciation of the water birds surrounding us.

I want to celebrate birds:  Water birds, shore birds, birds of prey.
Birds with particular colors and sounds and talents.
Roseate Spoonbill - the prettiest bird I have ever seen in the wild, flying over
Aunt Aggie on a grey day, pink against the sky.
A large grey beaked older gent standing at the end of our dock this morning.
I never could figure out who he is.  He let me get close, ignoring me, dignified.
Then white ibis in a flock near the pond as I walked to town.  White feathers, red beaks and legs.
Fancy ladies picking up bugs for brunch.
Brown pelicans dive bomb fish in the waters behind the boat.
How do they crash so loudly without getting hurt?
Show offs.
White pelicans mixed in on the river a few days ago, looking special.
Marveling at the richness of birds,
we return from an afternoon walk, and a pair of ospreys fly off
sailboat masts across the way.  They have a loud, peeping sound
that sounds oddly cheery for a bird of prey.
Rich with fowl.

A helpful reader, Archie McCain, identified this bird as a wood stork.


Here are the white ibis.
Here is a view of the marina, looking out toward the river.  The pelican on
the left had just crashed into his dinner and was resting.  We saw two manatees
right after this photo.

Here's a google image of an osprey.  Two flew off just across from Aunt Aggie.

Yesterday we had such a good time seeing Row and Gus again.  Row brought us banana bread and fresh strawberries that they had picked.  Both were delicious.  She also gave me some paperback books.  Thanks!  Last night we went out to dinner with Row, Gus, Diane and Henry (from De De)

and had a yummy meal and good conversation about the loop - special places and people. It was a real treat - riding in a car!  

Today George has worked with mechanics trying to fix our heat and change the oil.  He's asked lots of questions and figured out some things.  It's hard to stop with the repairs once you begin.  Oh, now we need to do this, and next week we'll check on that.  I say let's shut the engine room and move on up the river.