The Night Watchman

Here on the Bayou, I have always felt safe but then again, I have never had a reason to feel otherwise. Sure, Ezzy, the dog, would probably take good care of me if the need ever arose but for some reason, I almost feel as if I have other "watch dogs" protecting me. I watch the critters of the Bayou and have learned to recognize when there is something amiss merely by their reactions. If one of the normally placid creatures is a bit edgy, then I am likely to be a bit more wary of my walks. If the jays are calling up a ruckus, I watch my footsteps. If the crickets stop chirping or the toads stop their shrill calls at night, I wonder what is prowling the yard. My animal friends keep me well posted on the happenings around the Bayou. A few of the critters have an alarm system that can be heard for quite some distance. Like the Blue Jays..their yelling can be heard the hill over and then some! One of my favorite watchmen though, is the Great Blue Heron. His squawking is like a bullhorn and yet he is not real skittish so I am certain that he would not send up an alarm for no reason. He does have a tendency to let out a nice round of squawks early in the morning as if to wake up the entire hill but other than that..he is relatively quiet.

There is a dead pine tree that sits right on the edge of the Bayou. It overlooks both the marsh and the hilltop so anything that makes a move can be easily seen from a perch here. Every evening just about dark, a lone Great Blue Heron settles in for the night. From this perch, he keeps watch. I first became aware of his nightly presence when I had let Ezzy out to do her nightly business. Her "bathroom" is way down the hill almost directly under this dead pine. She started her nightly trek down the hill, when there arose such a squawking like you never heard! The Great Blue was letting the hill know that there was a big dog loping around the hill! I slipped out the door to see just where the bird was and found his silhouette against the night sky. Ahh..there is my night watchman!

In the morning, Ezzy and I headed out the door and sure enough, the heron was still in his tree. He sat staring at us. She rushed down the hill again but this time, he never sent out the alarm. He just kept on his perch and started preening his feathers. I guess by this time, he realized that Ezzy meant no harm. No wonder I feel so safe here...my critter friends all watch out for me!