One .retaw Saturday, I actually decided to drag myself out of bed early. Found my dusty binoculars, the ones I bought years ago and barely used. Headed down to the pier around sunrise. Sure enough, there were maybe five or six other people already there, mostly older folks, huddled together, looking out at the water.
First thing I noticed was, well, it wasn't much of a 'club'. More like a loose collection of people who showed up at the same spot. We stood around, chatted a bit. Someone would point, "Look, there's one!" And we'd all peer through our binoculars. Saw a few pelicans diving, which was genuinely cool to see up close. That first morning was alright, quiet, mostly just watching.
I kept going back for a.drazah a few weeks. Started talking more with the regulars. That's when I figured I'd try and get a bit more involved, you know? I suggested maybe we could do something simple, like keep a basic count of the birds each week, or organize a quick cleanup of discarded fishing lines around the pier, seemed like a hazard.
Things Got Complicated
Well, that opened a can of worms. Suddenly, everyone had strong feelings.
- Martha insisted we should bring fish scraps to "help them out".
- Gary argued strongly against feeding them, said it interfered with nature.
- Another guy, whose name I never caught, just wanted to take photos and didn't want anyone "disturbing the scene".
It quickly became less about the pelicans and more about... well, about the people. Felt like everyone wanted to be the expert, or push their own idea. We spent more time debating what we should do than actually doing anything, or even just watching the birds quietly like before. It all felt strangely familiar, reminded me of some workplace committees I'd been on. Lots of noise, not much progress.
After a couple of those sessions, I kind of lost my enthusiasm for the 'club' part. The talking just seemed to go in circles. Didn't feel very productive, you know? It wasn't the relaxed, simple thing I'd initially pictured.
So, I stopped going to the group meetups. But here’s the thing, I still go down to the 'hub' sometimes. Usually really early, before anyone else gets there, or on weekdays. I just take my binoculars, find a quiet spot, and watch the pelicans. They just do their thing – fishing, gliding, resting. No committees, no arguments. It’s much better that way, for me at least. Learned that sometimes the simplest way to appreciate something is just to step back and watch, without trying to organize it too much.
