Every once in a while, a whitecap breaks past Willadine with
a whoosh, in between, the wind is a slight roar in my ears, competing with the
grumble of the phosphate plant and occasional thunder. We anchored here for a nap. I wanted to keep going, but Eric was worn out
from jet lag so I agreed to stop. The
thunderstorms were a little scary anyway.
Three birds perch on an old piling structure: Two laughing gulls and a cormorant. (If you click the link for the gulls, be sure to listen to the clip of their sound. Guaranteed to make you laugh too!) The gulls are extremely elegant in their new
breeding plumage and obviously feel rather superior as a result. An argument breaks out, probably the
cormorant acting curmudgeonly and trying to put the gulls in their place. Back and forth, they complain: Aw!
Ah! Aw! Ah!
Another gull comes and the cormorant gives him an indignant
look, as if to say, “Heck with you, I was here first!” The gulls commence laughing at him and he
harrumphs and flies off. The sun is peeking
through the clouds. I can feel its
warmth on my arm. A perfect breeze
compliments it so that I feel completely comfortable and relaxed.
If Eric wasn’t sleeping, we’d have one of those moments when
we look at each other and laugh like celebrities (or gulls), “Mwah, hah, hah!” The main halyard taps on the mast in
agreement. We named the boat for Eric’s
maternal grandmother (Monzelle Willadine) and we like to think her spirit rides
with us. If she were here, she would
definitely be laughing at us because we cannot catch even one fish. They fling themselves out of the water all
around us, but never take the bait.
Monzelle would have filled the cooler by now.
 |
| Sunrise - Durham Creek |
The next morning we sail off the anchor and back out to the
river. Dozens of crab pot floats dot the
entrance. Some of them have been
co-opted for real estate by least terns, charming little gull-like birds, who
watch us pass very close without flying off.
We get close enough to see the white triangles on their foreheads. They are like miniature gulls, very cute,
each riding its own float. They’ll soon
be gone north with the other migrants.
We’re thinking of going north too, to the Albemarle, new territory, new
surprises, new wildlife. Mwah, hah, hah!
