From flat to flight

 

First of all, the tire wasn't flat--yet. The tread was separating and the belt had split, so we headed off to the tire store last night to get two new tires installed lickety-split, and then while the car was up on the lift, my brother-in-law the mechanic took a good look at the brakes and took us straight to AutoZone to buy new brake pads, which he graciously installed first thing this morning.

Which is why we didn't get to the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge until nearly noon, and then we couldn't spend much time there because we had other commitments, so we had to content ourselves with viewing wildlife from a distance instead of hiking out to get closer. Not to mention that it was cold. (Cold for Florida, meaning temperatures in the 40s and blustery winds sharp enough to persuade my Clevelandman to put on a hat.) 

But the birds! Bald eagles, ospreys, anhingas, herons--including the tricolored heron, which I've never seen before in the wild. Pintailed ducks, white pelicans, snowy egrets, and a solitary alligator clearly not enjoying the weather. And what is that in the distance? That swirling cloud of white and pink can only be a flock of roseate spoonbills mingling amongst the pelicans and egrets.

We enjoyed the sights and flights but then had to move on, waving goodbye to birds, reptiles, and a friendly shark as we moved inland on the next stage of our trip. I can't take any spoonbills with me and the photos are truly awful, but I'll hold on to that memory of swirling flights of pink for long miles ahead.