This afternoon, north of Tacoma, out in the tidal flats of Commencement Bay, this Great Blue Heron and I played a game of "chicken." As I carefully stepped across bright green, very slippery seaweed and broken mussel shells, the heron preened and groomed himself. When I got within 25 feet, he stopped abruptly and went stock still, not moving a feather. My shutter turned to quiet mode, I snapped away while he remained in his pose.

I wondered if he didn't feel threatened because of the little stream between us, or if he was just confident knowing he could fly away. Or was it like a dog who hides his head under the couch, thinking that if he can't see you, you can't see him. I'll never know the answer to these questions, but for twenty minutes he didn't move and I practiced the patient zen of a photographer, just waiting for the "taking flight shot with Olympic Range in the background."

Then some other beachwalkers came along the bird's side of the stream and the game was over. Off he went. And no I didn't get that flight shot, but someday......