Rest.

Yes, I did take this picture!

It was a rare, magic moment. This is a Great Egret I spotted today while walking along the Batiquitos Lagoon near San Diego.

The herons breed and nest in the trees surrounding this lagoon each April.

I happened to be standing just a few paces away talking with a local environmentalist when this Great Egret landed in the branches nearby. I think it was collecting twigs for it's nest as you can see from this next picture:

After I took the pictures, a lady approached me and said: "That moment was a gift. The Egrets usually keep themselves obscured in the trees."

It was a beautiful moment and one I felt so grateful to have experienced. It was the crowning moment of a delightful weekend vacation we took in beautiful Carlsbad, CA. We swam in the hotel pool, lounged in the sunshine, took walks, watched movies, talked, laughed and had so much fun together as a family!

Seeing this gorgeous bird in it's natural habitat gave me a greater and deeper appreciation for the work environmentalists do in preserving our dwindling wetlands. It was also a reminder to me to cherish the small moments of life.