Izat a Parrot?

Birding is one of the major things to do here on Dauphin Island.  There's an Audubon preserve down at the Eastern end of the island.  So I have been keeping my amateur eyes toward the birds.  So far there have been an incredible number of pelicans which feed all day in the sound (more about them in another post), lots of gulls as one expects at the beach (yes, I fed them.  Don't judge.  I just love to watch the aerial acrobatics too much to pass), a kestrel and a Parrot?  A parrot you say?  Let me 'splain.

I walk down the beach in the morning to kinda say boy howdy to the water.  It's a tough go and somedays  the soft sand kills my knee, but hey I'm at the beach right?  The beach is empty this time of year.  I see maybe 5 or 6 people all day out there.  Too cold to swim.  Too windy to sun.  Too rough for fishing.  So that leaves me, the surfer bois, and a few other people seeking the quiet.

Lots of dogs.  I like that.  I always stop to say hello.  A habit I acquired from my friend Homer.  I meet lots of cool dogs this way.  This morning I met an Australian shepherd and an English Spring Spaniel.  The spaniel has a soft spot in my heart.  The dog we had growing up was an ESS named Lady.  Inventive little people weren't we.  Anyway this little girl is just a puppy and she's carrying a huge piece of driftwood down the beach so very proud of her 'kill'.  Her people were mostly talking to each other and failed to notice what a good job she had done.  I laughed and bent down to meet her.  She dropped the stick at my feet and wagged her stumpy spaniel tail as greeting.  Such a pretty girl.  I threw the stick, which landed near her people.  She raced down the beach all ears and feet, overshooting the stick by a mile, although she did try to catch it as she ran by.  I applauded her effort.  It was then that her people turned to talk to me.

A soft Alabamian drawl came floating toward me over the sound of surf.  "She hasn't figured out how to bring it back yet."  That voice sounded vaguely familiar and when I looked up the dude smiled which looked really familiar too.  Ball cap pulled low.  Tanned skin.  Big wide smile.  Maybe twinkly blue eyes.  Maybe not.  I shrugged, turned to go and in the turning thought OMG is that Jimmy Buffet?  I turned to look at him again.  Could be.  Right height.  Right build.  Right sunny smile.  Right accent.  The rest of the way back to the house I mulled this possibility.  OK maybe I carried it down the beach like that little dog with a big stick.  As a parrothead (don't be a hater), I know JB is from Mobile and if I were coming to Mobile to say.....visit family, I would certainly prefer to stay somewhere like Dauphin Island where my beach lovin ass could be at home.

That would be when that logical asshole jumped up and tried to squelch it.  He does that a lot.  When I tell myself that was surely a dolphin out there.  He always snorts and says You wish.  It was just a wave turning.  Most of the time I think he's right.  Why?  Even when I see flukes he makes me think I am somehow wrong.  So now he's nattering on about this was NOT Jimmy Buffet, calling me mean things like crack smoker.  Thing is - I don't care.  Maybe it's Jimmy Buffet.  Maybe it isn't.  Maybe it's a dolphin.  Maybe it's just a wave.  What possible difference does it make to anyone but me?  What if it was essence of dolphin and Buffet?  If it makes me happy to say dophin and Buffet then I will.  Phfffflllt.  Maybe it was Buffet RIDING a dolphin.  Take that you judgmental a-hole.  Now 'scuse me I got some Buffet to spin.