Passing Storms

Liftoff
Barefoot Beach, Florida

"A few minutes ago every tree was excited, bowing to the roaring storm, waving, swirling, tossing their branches in glorious enthusiasm like worship. But though to the outer ear these trees are now silent, their songs never cease."

~John Muir

Hurricane Gustav passed by some 300 miles or so off the coast of SW Florida where I live yesterday. The eastern side of the storm is wide and brought strong wind gusts and heavy downpours throughout the night and day. In a slim slice between storm bands, I headed to the beach for a walk with the camera. Clusters of shorebirds were dodging the building surf. High tide pushed holiday hopefuls up into the dunes and off the beach entirely. It was one of the few times I've seen the beach fully underwater for as far as I could see.

The wind blows. Seas churn. Birds congeal in swarms of nervous feeding. Water steals sand in hungry handfuls and carries it out to sea. There is something exhilarating in the loud presence of a storm passing by.

Nikon D2x, Nikkor 24-120 VR

Birthday Presents

Fledgling Pelicans
Estero Bay, Florida
August 28, 2008

“Man who waits for roast duck to fly into mouth must wait very, very long time.”
~Chinese Proverb

I slept in on my birthday this past week. I was tired and lazy and completely undecided about which direction to head for this self-designated day off. After much procrastination, I ended up throwing the kayak on top of the car and driving north along the thin road that connects the barrier islands in my neighborhood. I found a likely spot to pull off, launched the boat, and paddled into Estero Bay, grumbling because I'd forgotten my iPod and good grief, paddling just isn't paddling without music in my ears.

In the middle of my grumble, two manatee surfaced next to the boat and continued to play alongside me for close to thirty minutes. They dared me to be grumpy with such goofy looking creatures in my presence. It was pretty darned magical and worth losing my funky mood.

A bit further along, I came up to a large rookery key that I often visit. Usually, it's just a haven for scores of pelicans, but this day - my day - it was alive with cormorants, egrets, herons, and the loud, hungry protests of a dozen or more fledgling pelicans. What a find! I haven't ever seen pelicans this young in my travels before; these guys were unable to leave the nest yet, although some where clumsily trying, falling through the mangrove branches with loud crashes.

The water, still abnormally high from Tropical Storm Fay, flooded the inside of the key and I was able to maneuver the boat quietly into the center, and through a veil of mosquitoes, capture these two staring down at me with quizzical looks.

Sometimes, the best birthday presents wear feathers.

Nikon D100, Nikkor 80-400VR