With friends and family visiting and conversations late into the night (hey, 9 PM on the boat is late since it is getting dark at 5:30 these days) my blog posts are happening the next morning. However, I'm keeping the dates chronologically.
We've been away from our home port for 2 months now and have learned a trememdous amount, more and more omfortable daily with our selves, the boat, our various warts and habits, trying to modify some to accommodate our partner's comfort. The smaller space means we have to deal with/express displeasure or frustration since we can't easily walk away to another room or to the pond or down the street. I'm hoping this is good. Think it is. The angles are not sooo acute and can be made into curves rather easily if massaged.
Kay and I were up for early conversation about her work and our family and friends. Lovely to have this time w/her. Patsy, Gary, Mary and Denis came to get us around 9 AM for a trip to Atlantic Beach, across the bridge from Morehead City which is across two bridges from Beaufort...about 5 miles. Beautiful!
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| Kay, Nan, Patsy at Beaufort boardwalk |
We came upon a pelican that was just standing on the beach. Not a good sign. A young couple and an older couple who were in their truck on the beach had stopped and were taking photos. We all gathered and consulted and someone noticed a fish line trailing from the bird. Further observation confirmed that it was wrapped around pellican's left leg. The truck woman called the wildlife rescue office and learned that pelican beaks are like bamboo, no biting danger, and to cover it's head and we could get a better look and maybe cut the line loose. Spring into action. I talked to the bird, comforting it, no doubt. Truck woman took her sweat shirt off for head cover. With pell's eyes cover we could contain her/his wings close to the body and hold her still. His leg was tightly wrapped and the circulation was being cut off. Kay offered her scissors, David his knife, truck man had a filet knife. David took that knife (sharpest and most pointed) and delicately cut the line to free the leg while I held wings close and someone else held head still. We also removed a line entangled in a wing. One th count of 3 we all released our hold and backed away. Peli walked a bit away but didn't run back into the water or fly away.
We all congratulated ourselves and waited. I moved closer to talk to bird again. Send some energy to the injured foot. Then I noticed that flies were sitting on the bird and the left wing was still not pulling up to tuck under...hanging down a bit. Kay noticed another, thicker line in that wing and down Peli's back.
Okay, capture the bird game again. She/he was not pleased, having just settled on top of a small sand dune to contemplate it's fate, I guess, and what these humans were up to now. Capture success. A hook in its shoulder. David worked it gently until he could get it out. Now the bird had an obvious wound and needed to go to the rescue rehab place abt 15 miles away. The young woman was pretty insistant to...maybe the older woman was her mom(?) that they take the bird. They did.
Capture the bird AGAIN. I'm sure he/she was really tired of us by now. But we did it. Young couple held blindfolded bird in the back seat and they all drove away. Phew! Our good deed for the week. A Forest Service volunteer told us the bird had been around for about a week but wouldn't let anyone get close to it. Probably it was now weak and hungry enough to be willing to accept help and we seemed helpful enough. Hoping Patsy and Mary will share photos tomorrow of the Pelican event.
TaDa! We were off to Beaufort to get folks ready to return to Winston-Salem. David and I did boat projects until Dale arrived around 5:30 for dinner.
Feeling good.
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