After being surrounded for the last 10 years by turquoise waters while working in the Caribbean, I now find myself, because of our company's "vessel realignment" program,  heading south through the muddy rivers of Louisiana, our destination, the Gulf of Mexico and then on to Houston, Texas.

 

(I just love "Management speak."  Vessel realignment sounds better than, taking some boats out of service, or laying some people off. Calling it vessel realignment is a power phrase that hopefully promotes a positive attitude to the remaining employees in the fleet. FYI, it's not working!)

 

Anyway, while the brown water we're journeying through might not be as appealing to the eye as the crystal waters we're accustomed to seeing near St Croix and Puerto Rico, this place does have its endearing qualities. All we need to do is raise our line of sight above the water line to be treated to a display of a different kind.

In the past I've spent a lot of time peering over the bow of our tug, watching dolphins frolic just inches from our hull in the Caribbean. Their acrobatic jumps into the air put the trained dolphins of Sea World to shame. Our ability to see clearly 50 feet down from the surface, offered us a glimpse, on a regular basis, into a world some people rarely see. Whether watching a school of brilliantly colored fish swim by, or seeing the popular if un-athletic Manatee plodding along, every day seemed to offer a new underwater spectacle to observe.

Today, instead of viewing nature's underwater world, we look skyward, and are captivated by what seems like a vast boundless bird sanctuary as we travel through Louisiana's bayou. The marshy tree lined waterway is a perfect location for nature's abundant inhabitants to call home, specifically the many different species of birds, the highlight being a sighting of a Bald Eagle, which are numerous. Our nation's symbol, once on the verge of distinction, seems to have made an impressive come back, at least in this neck of the woods.

Each area of the world has its own uniqueness, something that makes them different. Germany has great beer. Holland has windmills. Washington DC has Obama. The Caribbean Islands are known for their pristine waters to vacationers everywhere. Ireland is green and Louisiana has, well, ah, ahem…… crawfish!

I haven't been able to wrap my mind around that concept yet.

  

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