The Night Visitor

Zach was only a few days old when we first noticed him. It was like that feeling you get when somebody is staring at you. You look up and you see the eyes that you felt. Right there on the piling, just outside our cockpit he was quite literally looking in on us. From about dusk until we were so sleepy we could no longer keep track. After several nights of this visitor, we snapped a photo of baby Zach and the Night Heron, thinking he would soon move on to other grounds and this would be a rare omen we wanted to capture.

Boy were we wrong. It's been nearly 5 1/2 years and we've moved slips 3 times, and he's still with us. He's gotten noisier and at time a tad bolder, but he's faithful as ever. Not every night mind you, but most nights that it's just the three of us. We know his voice, we hear him announce himself at times. Zach sometimes waits outside for him at dusk. "My heron is here," he calls. They stare at each other.

Is he our protector? Our good luck charm? Our stalker? Or has he just heard rumor from the ducks about snacks and story time?

It doesn't matter. We expect him. We welcome him. He's family now.