Serenity Sunday: The last step

One year ago we were in California on a memorable road trip to meet up with Squiddy as she did some work with the folks at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.  We participated in an excursion out into Monterey Bay, hoping to find whales and such, and we did get to see a few, but when I have an opportunity like this, I frequently find myself concentrating on other wildlife at least as much as on the top-billed stars that most folks hope to encounter.  Among my very favorites are the pelicans.  So homely and ungainly on land, when they take to the air, they transform into vibrant visions of grace and elegance.  I managed to catch this one just as it was completing its awkward takeoff procedure, having just taken its final watery step that finally enabled it to become airborne