We're Back!

Brown Pelican
via Wikipedia

A wonderful bird is the pelican,

His bill will hold more than his belican,

He can take in his beak

Enough food for a week

But I'm damned if I see how the helican!

Dixon Lanier Merrit

(as quoted by both Tom and Mom)

We had a really fantastic trip, beginning with two days each way driving to see my Mom. Not only were those great hours of talking with Tom but we also listened to three audiobooks: David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell (I may have to write him a fan letter), The Martian by Andy Weir, and The Rosie Project. The last two were repeats for me but I enjoyed them greatly and Tom did too. He doesn't listen to fiction much but those two grabbed our attention so much that we were pausing so we could talk about them.

The pelicans marked our entry to Melbourne Beach and it was really terrific sitting on our 15th floor balcony to see them flying by at eye level sometimes. The Radisson was quite clever and built the hotel one-suite deep so that every suite has a beach view. (And for $95 per night! A steal!)

We saw a heron begging bait from a fisherman, dolphins rolling and fishing, and many pelicans diving and then bobbing on waves while swallowing. Best of all, we brought my mother back to the hotel one afternoon and sat under an umbrella outside enjoying the ocean, the wildlife, and the parade of bathers coming and going.

I'll try to get more photos up later with a bit more travel talk, but this is my first day back at work so I'm a bit crazy. Just a bit!