Great Blue Heron at Fisherman's Paradise

It was the calmest and most complacent heron I think I've ever seen. My husband and I spotted it along Spring Creek, not far from the parking lot, as we hiked up the trail at Fisherman's Paradise. As we strolled past, it did not even startle, unlike pretty much every other heron I've ever met!

A pair of mallards sort of attempted to approach, then seemed to back away from the larger bird. When we got back from our walk about an hour later, the heron was still there. And now the mallards were hanging out in the tree roots right below the big bird - you can see them by its feet in this photo!

There was another little treat waiting for us further up the trail. Someone has decorated an evergreen tree with Christmas ornaments, as I think they do pretty much every year. I photographed a little angel with a special message on it, just one simple word: Believe.

Here's a song for the bird who waited for us to return: Richard Marx, with Right Here Waiting.

Here's a song for the pretty little angel with its encouraging message: Cher, with Believe.