Hiding the pain

  Sometimes darkness can bring fear and trepidation but then sometimes it can disguise a lot of ugliness and pain.  The hurt heron is a faithful visitor to the pier each day.  I try to catch it plenty to eat since it is nigh on impossible for it to catch fish without being able to wade. The ankle is healing over but will always be painful for the bird.  Since the leg bone was not set, the foot will always be lame.  The heron undoubtedly will live with horrendous pain for the rest of its life.  My goal is to help this bird in any way I can since it was spurned by the wildlife rescue people.

  Despite the obvious pain that the bird endures, it always seems to be willing to try.   This evening, it came to visit and fill up on fish that Mark and I caught in our nets as we were throwing for shrimp.  It would wait patiently until I called it to eat a fish.  It never attempted to snatch the shrimp unless I tossed them to it.  I kept thinking of what a beautiful bird this was and how it is such a shame that it will always have to endure this hardship. 

  After getting its belly full, the bird flew up to the top of one of the pier posts to spend the night.  If anyone not familiar with the circumstances had seen the bird, they would have never guessed it was hurt.  The darkness had blocked out the view of the ugliness.  It had masked the pain from everyone but the bird itself.  For all others, it was just a lovely silhouette of fine bird.  But the bird was well aware of the crippling effect that its injury would have on the entirety of its life.  As I photographed the bird, my heart was breaking.

  Mark and I decided that we should continue to feed our friend.  We are going to freeze packets of fish so we can continue to help the bird come this winter.  It will especially need food once the cold weather comes.  Hopefully, we can make life a bit easier for our fine, feathered friend.