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Friday, March 6, 2009

Sequence with Pelican

“You know what happens two days from today?” Carl asked on the bridge as the birds were coming in to hunt for breakfast in the creek, just before sunrise. I was out with dog and camera, he walking to the store.

“Bark Island! No, that’s Saturday. What’s Sunday?”

“You have to get up an hour earlier.” Seeing my blank expression, he explained, “Daylight savings time.”

You have to look carefully at the first image to find the pelican.







The second Patrick Smith novel, Allapattah, was faster-moving, more gripping and ultimately, for me, more tragic than Forever Island. Definitely worth reading. Sam Shephard short stories are written with surgical skill, but they remind me that I never want to go to Hollywood, California. Maybe not even California.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your pelicans bear a certain resemblance to Keith's "Leland Report" gulls. They're always there, but often subtle.

I want a vacation. A hammock in a nice place with a stack of books beside me . . . sounds good.

Deborah said...

There are incredible places - just like Florida - and people - in California. Trust your sister - there are places I could take you where you would have your heart enlarged from the breathtaking beauty, the people, the land, the animals and birds. My heart is many places - NYC, Paris, Ireland, CA.

P. J. Grath said...

The word 'hammock' means something different here. (Forgive me if you already know this!) It's a piece of ground high enough to have dry ground and grees, kind of an island out in the sawgrass or mangroves. But the kind of hammock familiar to Michiganders is a good idea here, too, as it would keep a relaxing person off the ground, away from sharp, prickly plants, fire ants and other interruptions to reading and napping.

Deborah, I'm sure there are lovely parts of California. I know it isn't all Hollywood and hype. And our mother was born in California, after all! I think part of my stupid prejudices are the knowledge that I won't have time to see the whole world and hate to think I've missed so much good stuff!