Oh, Some Friends!

  We all have them.  We love them to pieces but, at times, have to shake our heads at their actions.  Some friends take a mile when offered an inch.  It does not damper the friendship but can be a bit bewildering.  

  My new found critter friend, the young heron, has been coming regularly to the pier for its handouts.  This morning, it was there waiting before I even came out the door.  By the time I made it to the pier, the bird was doing a steady bit of pacing as if to say "Hurry up with breakfast, please!"  I obliged and caught it a nice helping of menhaden.  Then a bit later, the bird came back for a mid-morning snack.  For being such a skinny bird, that thing can eat!  

  Well, along about ten o'clock, I decided that I had enough fishing for the time being but I still had a nice bucketful of menhaden.  Hmmm?  With the aerator going, the minnows should stay alive so I did not toss them back into the water.  My scoop net was laid across the top of the bucket to provide a bit of shade and I headed to the Little Bayou House to do a bit of painting.  Son was installing the new screen doors, today!  Touch up painting would be required if he had to do any trimming.  I had hopes to return to the pier to catch more trout after my chores were complete.  

  Along about four in the afternoon, I headed back to the pier to catch my friend red-handed (or red-beaked, as the case was.)  The young heron had cleaned my bait bucket!  Only three minnows remained in the bottom of the bucket and they were exhausted from dodging that dagger-like beak!  Give that bird an inch and it will eat you out of house and home (to jumble up some idioms).   That silly bird had helped itself to the contents of my bait bucket!  Then, to top it all off, the bird stood begging for yet more minnows!  Silly bird!  Some friend you are!