Or, maybe they are.

I’m sitting out on the dock today working on some blog posts in advance. It’s truly a beautiful day—although, by the time you read this, it may not be.  But, right now, it’s about 76° and sunny, the very best kind of Florida winter day.

So, I’m thankful for the weather.  And I’m thankful for the wireless technology that allows me to sit out here and work.  I do need, perhaps, to get a more comfortable deck chair—because this one is designed more for lounging than typing—but why quibble?  I mean, there are a lot of people with no deck chair at all.

Another thing for which I am thankful is the mystery and the drama of the coots.  As I sat here, a solitary coot went paddling by me.  Now, you must understand, a solitary coot is an unusual thing.  They travel in packs.

At first, I thought, “Aha!  Straggler!  You better hurry up.”  This coot had a lean and hungry look, different than the usual cheerful rotundity of coots, that made me think, perhaps, he was always a straggler, always just booking along to catch up to the rest.

But, then, I saw the rest of the flock way down the creek far behind this one.

I thought, “Aha!  Scout!  You’re the advance guard.”

But, then, I saw the rest of the flock turn and go the other way.

So, now, I don’t know.

Has there been a falling out among the coots?  Has my fast feathered friend, perhaps, departed in high dudgeon over some slight, real or imagined?  Is the rest of the flock too conservative to dare the shining waters beyond the bridge, or is the lone swimmer fearful of some alligator the rest have decided to brave?

It’s a mystery.

Quick!  Call CNN!  We need an investigative journalist. There are stories to be told at the creek.