Bask in the glow of their aviary greatness

We live not far from Grand Lake and being on the creek and incredibly close to the river helps, too - every year around this time we see pelicans. Not dead people like that Haley Joel Osmont kid, but pelicans. The city of Grove hosts the Pelican Festival and it's a big ol' deal, lemme tell ya.

Today the kids were playing outside and I was doing - what else - homework when all of the sudden I heard hollers of "GO GET MOM!!" Of course, I broke two toes, turned over a chair, hurdled four piles of laundry and a recliner to get to the front door right about the time two kids came busting in screaming, "OH MY GOSH MOMTHEREARESEAGULLSINTHESKY!!!" as if they weren't mere birds, but flying fiery missiles of doom and destruction. I remembered reading on Stacie's blog that it's pelican time again, so I calmly told the kids that they weren't Seagulls of Doom, but pelicans. Just plain pelicans.

The kids watched in fascination as they swooped and swirled and probably pooped fishy bird poop all over the area and I had to grab the camera. Oh, not because I was particularly mesmerized by the birds, but because the kids were practically begging me to video the majestic creatures in all of their glory aloft as if there was a moratorium on pelicans going into effect at 5pm and we must capture this moment for the sake of our children, mother, don't you care about your grandchildren?!

So I did. But the best part of the video is at the end when you get to watch my oldest daughter - does she not remind you of Olive Oyl with those skinny long legs? - walk across the rocks in the driveway. That's the whole reason I posted this. She didn't know I'd gotten her hobbling like a firewalker short on concentration and when she saw me putting it up at YouTube she said, "Ohhhh man, you are so mean and dangit, MOM, DON'T BLOG THAT!"

"Okay, I won't."

It's a good thing she doesn't read my blog.