A lesson in patience...

Biking down the beach in the early morning I often come upon fishermen knee-deep in the waves holding fishing rods in hope of a catch.

Inevitably one or more birds - often snowy egrets like the shorebird pictured below - will be positioned nearby waiting too.

Birds aren't fools.  They know good things come if they practice a little patience.  There is much we can learn from our feathered friends.

Below is another picture of a similar scene taken on the same New Smyrna Beach shoreline during another early morning bike ride.

In this photo, the snow egret is joined by some buddies.  While waiting for the fisherman to bring in his catch, two of the egrets are biding time by doing a little preening, one is simply standing there and the other - the most brazen of the crew - has positioned itself on top of the cooler on the fisherman's chair to make sure his intentions are clear: "I'm here.  I'm waiting patiently.  I expect you to catch me a fish."