A Doe and a Big Blue Heron September 13, 2007
Pierson has soccer practice 3 days a week. The practices vary in length and sometimes I do not have time to run errands or get anything done while he is at practice. Near his practice there is a lovely walking path that winds through woods. At least once a week I walk on this path.
Last week I was walking by the stream when I noticed movement and realized a very large Blue Heron was fishing about 10 feet from me. The heron had found a pool of fish cut off from the rest of the stream due to the drought and was enjoying a good dinner. I stood against a tree and watched as he (permit my assumption) would cock his head to the side and then move his head so that it was parallel to the surface of the water. He would pause for a moment and then in a smooth movement so fast I could barely see it happen, he would scoop out a fish and swallow it before I could even clearly see the color of the scales. I shared time and space with him for about 20 minutes before an enthusiastic toddler came tearing down the path and the heron flew away.
Yesterday, I was walking down a portion of the path that is paved when a doe walked out of the woods about 6 feet away from me. She looked up at me and I paused because I know that sometimes Bucks can be aggressive and I was concerned that one might be around. The doe walked even closer to me and crossed right in front of me to check out some leaves on the other side of the path. She was close enough to touch. I began to slowly walk on the path and she turned around and crossed back in front of me again, swishing her little white tail the whole time. I was close enough to feel the breeze from her tail. She calmly began eating leaves on the other side of the path and just looked at me as I slowly walked down the path.
I wonder how animals know for certain that someone is not going to be aggressive and nasty to them. I wish I had their sixth sense about good and bad people. But since that is not a possibility, I am just grateful that they have that sense so that I can share some moments with such beautiful creatures.
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