Spirit Journey & Manatees - Part 4

The next day I awoke disoriented and feverish. My head was so congested it felt as if it was encased in concrete. It was sunrise. I realized I was at the Hungry Pelican Motel.

I dressed and went outside through the screen door of our patio. The view of the Gulf of Mexico was truly beautiful as I walked towards the dock.

I was met on the sand by a very bold snowy egret coming towards me purposefully. He eyed me as if he expected something from me. What he wanted, I did not have a clue. As I walked past him warily, they do have big sharp beaks; he turned and followed me to the office. The stocky owner, who looked about retirement age, was up and putting out coffee for the motel guests.

He looked up and said, “Oh don’t mind that egret, he just wants his breakfast and it isn’t time yet. Birds get fed after humans even though I prefer their company many times. No offense.” Then he chuckled.

I had to agree, so I did. I helped myself to some coffee and asked if there was a local doctor that would see tourists as I was feeling a bit under the weather. He said that there was and gave me a card for a clinic down the street as he looked at me sympathetically.

“Well you couldn’t have chosen a better place to recover than right here at the Hungry Pelican! Sunshine, sand, water and sometimes we have manatees!”

“Really?”, I asked.

“Yup.”

“How will I know if they are here?”

“There will be so much commotion, you won’t be able to miss it honey.”

With that, I grabbed a Styrofoam cup of coffee for Sean, and headed back to our suite. Sean loves to be awakened with the aroma of coffee under his nose. So that is what I did. After he was up, we called the clinic and made an early appointment for me.

When the time came, we drove the caddy there. There were plenty of Hispanic locals waiting, but we were taken right in. The doctor was also of Hispanic origin. He looked me over and concluded that I had sinusitis and the beginnings of bronchitis. He prescribed antibiotics, a decongestant, and a cough syrup with codeine. He advised me not to dive until my sinuses were completely clear again. I assured him that I was not planning on diving at all. He also said that I had really worn myself out and that I needed a few days of bed rest. Good thing I am on vacation, I thought. We filled the prescriptions and headed back to the Hungry Pelican. In retrospect, I could swear that the pharmacist gave me a sideways look when he filled the cough syrup prescription, but maybe it was just me.

I took all of my prescriptions and fell into a deep narcotic induced sleep.

I dreamed that my spirit arose from my body. It was transformed into a great bird. An eagle.

I spread my golden wings wide and soared way high up into the sky, until I could see the whole world. Then it swooped down from the mountain top

towards the river valley.

I followed the river down the valley, swooshing with every curve and bend of the river past the tall pines and aspens, making them shiver. Then, suddenly I plunged into the ice cold river and became a powerful fish.

I swam with the current building great speed and then I would leap free of the water into the air, flinging water in tiny droplets off of my tail and then fall with a splash back into the water to continue swimming as if I had never left. As I swam down the river, it changed into an estuary or delta, and finally into a sea.

My spirit then transformed into a sea otter and played in the sea water, spinning and twirling like a whirling dervish.

Bubbles arose in the clear water in trails behind my paws.

My spirit had made the journey from the sky to the sea and saw that it was all good. I was at peace.

I lay there in a semiconscious blissful state (read: high as a kite) when Sean came running into the room saying, “Sue come out and see the manatees!!!” And then he ran back out.