So Long, Brown Pelican

By the time you read this, the brown pelican pictured here most likely will be dead. I saw it first on Sunday at the south end of Lost Tree Village, then on Monday it had moved about a mile north towards the end of North Palm Beach, where you can see the brick next to it (again, left-click for a larger version--the small boats in the background are fishing, while the larger ship you can see behind the pelican on Monday is the same dredging vessel. The tire tracks that can be seen behind the bird in the second picture are from the ATV that the turtle people use as they run up and down the beach looking for sea turtle nests to document, count and mark--only they, the police and Lost Tree Village security are allowed to ride those things on this beach.). I've seen this before; when birds die, they suddenly lose energy rather quickly and it's only a day or two until they keel over and that's it. The undiscovered country as it were--from whose shores no traveler returns, to tell of tales, either good or ill.
As you can see though, the sky and the ocean were beautiful. This happens every year--March is definitely the most gorgeous month for Florida at the beach.
Right now, the forecast is holding for Friday and Saturday to be nice--as today and tomorrow are rainy and overcast--which is why I'm doing this now. I can't believe I've actually finished with the sequel--and I've also finished with yet another review of the original rewrite. And I haven't heard back from the contest people yet--we are supposed to be notified in March--but the longer this drags out, the better my chances are. I have been through this before, getting my hopes up, before they've been dashed against the wall before my very eyes. Right now I feel serene in my situation. If I can get a publisher's attention, maybe I can get a two-book deal instead of a one-book deal--which would have to be better. So many people are one-hit wonders or one-trick ponies, but now I've proved to myself and anyone else that may be interested that not only do I want to do this but that I can do it.
For so long, I've been so concerned about the money and now that it's gone, I feel less and less bothered about it. It turns out I've needed every minute of all this time I've been out of work to get the books to the point they are now. If the books are just for me and not anyone else, I don't want to stay here because most of my neighbors are ignorant without any imagination at all and I like very few people where I live. What I do like is that it's quiet and safe while being reasonably affordable. I read other people's blogs up north and right now so many people are sick of the snow and the cold and they simply want it to be over with. By way of contrast, during the first cold snap in January, one morning there was ice on my car, which I've seen twice before in the forty-some years I've been down here.
I think both books look pretty nice--but I've thought that before and have emotionally crashed and burned. I suppose I shall see. Time will tell.