a visitor

(Scurrying of feet on deck and down into the cockpit. Feet trying to be quiet but not quiet succeeding as they patter with excitement.)

"Mama, mama, come quick! He's here! Come! Come!"

Thankfully Naia is at that blissful stage where she can get into the cockpit on her own and feels a part of the action as she crawls after at my heels, but not big enough to get OUT of the cockpit into the danger zone. She pulls up and crains her neck around to see what's what.

Camera in hand I bound up to the edge of the cockpit and freeze next to the winch.

"Oooohhh. He's getting bolder is he? Let's be really quiet and see how close he lets us come."

Normally he's on the far portside piling, well out of reach. And lately he's taken to very low flying swoops that  literally move the boat accompanied by punctuated low squawks. But this afternoon, he's decided to visit on the starboard side mid-ship piling. Close enough to touch, not that we would. And peering into our salon window. Cheeky.

He turns his back to us as I raise my camera. Zach can not resist, despite my urging to stay put. He creeps, genuinely soft footed this time, ever closer, holding his breath but bursting with dimples.

He gets close. Too close? The Great Blue Heron is not startled. He doesn't seem threatened or worried. He seems, well, mildly annoyed. Really? Really kid? Are you really going to make me move off this perfectly lovely perch? Come on? I don't want to fly away but at the same time I can't have you coming this close. So... alright. Off we go then.

It's just another day of ordinary magical moments.