Florida Keys' Watercolor Kapers - Part 3 Brown Pelican

In Part 3 of this new story, a Brown Pelican talks about the history of the Florida Keys and how the Brown Pelican was there when it all happened.

The Brown Pelican

It is now a couple of hundred years later. This time in a small cove just around the corner from our beach is a boat at anchor. It is of a different look and design than the Spanish galleon. This ship is somewhat smaller and much more streamlined. It has triangular sails on two masts instead of the square sails of the galleon. It has no quarter or raised decks and has only three cannons on each side, their barrels pointing out of raised hatches on the ready.

There is a flag flying from the top of the tallest mast. It is all black and is emblazoned on each side with a skull on top and crossed-bones right below. There are two longboats drawn up on a small beach opening between the mangroves. In the distance is this end of a very small mahogany and pine forest. This is proof that our Spanish explorers have been visiting this area for quite some time and made good of their promise to log the forest.

On this beach are a mish mash of men, running, sitting, and lying about. Some appear to be drinking. They are almost all bare-chested and most barefooted. Some have gold earrings and gold nose rings. They have bandannas about their heads, single pigtails behind, and combination of beards of all colors, types, and sizes. They are all armed with pistols and swords.

These men are the pirates of the Caribbean. What are they here for? They could be looking for water. They will find little here, if any. There might be some in the old Calusa Indian well. But mainly they are here waiting for a Spanish treasure galleon returning to Spain from Mexico to come sailing by in the Gulf Stream. They mean to procure the gold and valuables for themselves.

We pelicans did not fear these men. They were too busy with other matters to pay us any mind. We did observe.

From the Author:

My second full-length book , Florida Keys’ Watercolor Kapers is composed of 336 pages. There are 12 stories running from 6 pages to as many as 72 pages. It is fully illustrated with 88 watercolors and sketches. The watercolors I made roaming around Key West after I finished my 750 mile hike from Georgia to Key West. (See book or Don Browne’s SouthWest Florida Online News records, A Walk Across Florida.) As you read these stories you will experience Key West, the Keys, and the Caribbean. These stories span the time of the early 1800’s to 1969. bkranich.wixsite.com/bobkranich