Library Herons, or why I should ALWAYS carry my camera, even when it isn't practical

So, today it was not practical to carry the camera full time the way I usually do. It just wasn't.

So I didn't.

And when I stopped by the library, there was a young heron, standing in the edging, looking a bit dazed, in perfect photo position--peering around a cactus, to be precise.

Later, he was over standing on someone's wall, trying to figure out whether or not he could reach the roof. Again, a beautiful photo op, and I had no camera!

Apparently, they're still figuring out how to fly, so they pretty regularly land in front yards or in library edgings.

Oh--and the woman who had complained about all the noise the nestlings were making? It was her yard, and she was delightedly calling her husband out to look.

I knew she was protesting too much!

And I'm simply going to have to figure out how to carry my camera tomorrow.

I won't be near those herons, but something else might happen. You never know.