Peli's, halfway 'round the world

The pelicans are back for the season and I am mesmerized by them, from dawn to dusk. I never am tired of their precision assaults from the sky, their gawkiness and their impossible elegance in flight.

They work solo, they work in teams. There is some rapport going on with the gulls but each year I can't quite remember who is following whom in the dance. So I stand on the shore, forgetting the camera for a moment, transfixed in wonder. Rapt. Their awkwardness and their streamlined movements are a perfect balance of nature's laughter. And I get to watch...entranced by the silly old pelican, whose bill can hold more than his bellican...

This is for my friend Samela, who has given me so much. For she who loves pelicans more than I do, if that's possible, and it is, though hers are those down under Aussie peli's. And also, this is dedicated to the memory of our friend Ri, who, in her fierce love of life and her raging grace, remains with me more strongly than ever when I watch the Peli Ballet. Can you hear the music?