I roll out of bed to greet the day and head directly to the coffeepot, which I have prepared the night before. With one click of the button the aroma of hazelnut coffee begins to permeate my surroundings. Every morning while I wait for my eye-opening brew I wander over to the back window to see who is visiting this morning and to recognize the weather of the moment. Weather changes quickly here and you can turn around for five minutes and see a change when you turn back. There usually are several birds in the marshy reeds hunting, looking for that perfect tidbit to make up their morning meal. Great blue herons, snowy white egrets, kingfishers, laughing gulls and an occasional roseate spoonbill are what normally meet my eye. During the winter months I often see an osprey sitting at the end of our pier on a light pole. He’s my favorite and such an amazing fisherman! Sometimes I see him busily gutting a mullet on what has become his usual perch. His talons are lethal. His bill tears the flesh so easily and gets to the good parts – the heart and guts. Oddly enough he drops the part we mere humans enjoy, the muscle, for the surrounding squawking seagulls to finish off.
The weather is cooperating with the fishermen this morning, a picture-perfect autumn day on the coast of Texas. The sky is azure blue without a visible cloud. The bay is slightly choppy from the southeast breeze and is the color of a well-made margarita.
The mullet are jumping out of the water occasionally, reminding me of a silver bullet, sleek and metallic colored. I think they sometimes leap for the sheer joy of it.
We have pigeons, too. I’ve always associated them with city living but they are here with their iridescent necks and wings just the same. They roost on the house next door. I don’t know why they don’t roost on our house. I do see them drinking from the edgeless pool sometimes, even if it is chlorinated. It was the freshest water around during the recent drought. Poor birds. We had grackles, pigeons and even ducks hanging out in and around our pool this past summer. I guess you get it where you can – fresh water that is.
The reeds in the marsh harbor hundreds of fish and crustaceans. The crabs scuttle away if I walk along the pier. There is no fear from me though, I wish only to see them scuttle.
Life is good this morning for everyone I see. I turn around when I hear the soft gurgle of Mr. Coffee, anticipating my lovely cup of hazelnut flavoring. Mm mm, I’m a lucky lady!
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