Herons must have great patience to stand waiting in the water for so long and yet always be ready to lunge when a fish comes nearby. I am not nearly so patient, but I crouched on the rocky beach for 20 minutes with my finger hovering on the shutter release while I waited for the heron to catch a fish.

This shot and a whole bunch of other good ones made crouching awkwardly worthwhile. Usually, I'll come to the beach to sit on a log in a meditative state watching and listening to the waves wash over the rocks. Sometimes I think about things, but most times I just enjoy being there. Alan Watts would certainly approve.