Pelicans have no fear, the post office will open

I expected frost; all of the house plants -which I keep outside since the weather is so beautiful here- were tucked away in the shed. I turned the heat on in the house and while the thermostat did turn the heater on several times during the night( it`s set for 61)- it really was not that cold. The morning walk to feed the horses was not met with frosty grass blades. Yet the horses were still a little excited by the chilly air- Kai Kai kicked his heels! He was probably celebrating that for mid December, it was still 45 degrees- unlike Upstate NY where he and the rest of the horse gang endured sub zero weather around this time of year.

This morning, bright and early at 7:45am we visited Rutzmushtl to make certain our little orange tree didn't get fenced in by our neighbor again.

 Then we left for the Coden Post office- AGAIN- and while driving down the seemingly straight and smooth Highway 188 aka Alabama's scenic highway- one which Benno and now I refer to as the DC3 runway ( long story- one which I will explain in another post labelled flying the DC3 runway)  I reflected upon the fact that Benno usually hits 60 mph on this road. This isn't a problem says Benno, since he has seen signs for 55 MPH.

That's funny, for we just passed a 40 mph sign.

Yet I agree with Benno, and with every other Alabamian driving this road, But shouldn't ur DC3 runway be traveled at least at the speed of 55mph? Not 40? Well never mind, I think.

Benno ponders this as we pass yet another 40 mph speed sign.

He wonders, maybe they have a slower speed limit for one side of the highway?

We reach the Coden Post Office at 8:03am and of course it is closed. I ask myself why I didn't just read the posted hours of operation sign. I guess because that would be too easy? Or is it my NY mentality seeping out, an attitude insisting everyone has regular office hours, including the US Government. My fault...

In the spirit of finding good in everything, which means "all things happen for a reason"... our planned 30 minute drive to waste time until the Post Office opened at 8:30, turned into an hour's photo journey along the Shell Belt Rd. 

What with boat building yards, ocean docks, palm trees and blue clear ocean and sky- what did I really end up enjoying the most? Finding my pelican!!!!

Here he is... my pelican

I think I shot over 50 photos of this fellow. Now remember, my camera is only a 2.1 mega pixel- without a digital zoom- so guess how close I was to this rascal? 

Yes less than 3 feet.

 What was marvelous about this encounter was that this pelican enjoyed my attention. Here I am squatting on the ground like a long haired, woolly bird, pointing my beak ( my camera) at him. I think this little fellow was intrigued. He actually waddled around an electric poll, preened himself, posed, and then waddled toward me, just to sit and stare at me, as shown above.

Benno stayed in the car, watching this beautiful exchange.

Of course a couple in an SUV rumbled by and parked at the dock within ear shot of me and my pelican. The woman, driving,  was shouting the F word. At first I thought she was on her cell phone, but as soon a the car parked, the passenger door opened and a muscular arm dropped a crushed beer can onto the road.

Okay time for us to leave.

I clambered back in the car with my smile stretching ear to ear- I have a pelican!!

Benno drove us back to the post office where I finally picked up our certified letter from the Mobile Public Works. Apparently one of our Rutzmushtl neighbors intends to subdivide their property. More on this later, after we visit County Government.

On our way back on the DC3 highway I saw this...so tell me, can half a road half one speed limit and the other half have a different one?

We didn't have time to think about this for we were almost late for the art class that Benno teaches on Dauphin Island at 10 am.

( guess what I painted- no, a pelican?)

After the class- which broke at 1pm, we returned home, fed the horses lunch and sat with our own delicious tray of cheeses and raw veggies.

Then we took off again, this time hunting for palm trees, horse fence material, pruning shears and wood chipper pricing ( yes there is another story behind this).

We're wondering if it would be worth holding up a bank for its palm trees considering how much these landscape guys want for them.

To top the evening off, a SUV was hugging a  tree- literally sitting on its rear wheels, wrapping its front around a tree. How does this happen on a sunny warm day on a straight road with plenty of clearance.

The days are too short. More on these adventures, next time. Benno wants to go to sleep!!