Oh my goodness gracious Ya'll! It's been 17 days since I last communed with my Spirit Animal and the fact that I was accompanied by my comrades Lisa and JC McNeill of Alligator Alliance made it all the more special as they love this creature just as much as I do. I have faithfully been visiting his habitat almost daily only to be greeted by Olive or an empty beach. I knew he had been here as evidenced by photos and videos from some of my photog friends but I myself hadn't been so lucky lately. I seem to forget each time just how massive the sheer girth and size of my Ancient Warrior Dragon. He is ruled only by an Instinct to Survive by that basal Reptilian Brain of his. Don't let his stillness lull you into complacency as he is only capable of responding to 3 cues - food, friend or foe. These actions have served his kind throughout the millennium and continue to keep his scaly Scuted kind in existence. Stand tall when in his presence so as to alert him to your stature. Don't crouch or hunker down; it will make your escape slower and liken your size to his prey. And YES, He can clamber up that wall and launch himself with those powerful hind legs and tail at least half the length of his 12 foot form. My guy performing an action known as sweeping- rocking that massive head of his back and forth with an open maw to pick up tasty morsels in the water. No; we didn't feed him... Oh how I love this Alligator even though my feelings are not reciprocated. Maybe I should term it respect for the resilience and adaptability of the species... I don't really know what it is that draws me to them but I always leave with an all encompassing calm, that replaces the initial rush of fear, awe and excitement when I spot them. That peace is such a rarity for myself that I seek it like a moth is drawn to a flame. All I know is that I will continue to stalk these creatures from a long by-gone Era as long as I am able.. Till Later My All Time Favorite Gator...
I just don't even know what to say!! Whodathunk my Popeye Gator would FINALLY emerge on a 55° rainy day of March 28th. Certainly not me. I decided to take the long way home from a trip to Unleashed of Southport with Hazel on the Waaaaay off chance that he just might.. So thankful that I did. Oh how I have missed this wizened old warrior of mine!! Let me backtrack a bit… I spotted Olive in the distant grasses so I parked and ran quickly around the back of the truck fully expecting to see just raindrops on the water's surface. To my shock and awe I found myself staring into the eyes of my big Gator. I was so surprised that I let out a yelp as I ran back around the truck getting some distance between us. The second shot is the splash where Popeye submerged as soon as I hollered, a sort of ET moment like when Drew Barrymore came face to face with the critter and they both commenced to screaming... I gathered my senses somewhat and managed to get a few shots of my beloved Behemoth of an Alligator as he staked claim once more to his familiar territory… It seems an impossible task to portray the sheer girth of this Gator. You must look underneath the water and focus on the light colored cowl of this guy. He doesn't even look real @ times. Let me tell you this Alligator commands respect and despite his massive bulk can move as quickly as greased lightning. Don't let his stillness fool you. It's his modus operandi and it has worked for his ancestors for countless millions of years. To lie quietly in the water, sometimes with only his eyes above the water's surface waiting for that opportunity to strike his totally unsuspecting prey, dragging it beneath the surface to his domain. Not the way I care to go Ya'll… Last One/ Ole Popeye's namesake - the cloudy blue scarring on the cornea of his right eye that causes him to squint at times.
Hello March!!! What are the odds I would make it out on the very day that Ozzy decided to emerge from Brumation??!!?? Thank you Heather Winterbottom for your picture tipping me off to this subadult out and about basking, reveling in the 70 plus degree day lending its life- giving, metabolism kicking heat. Alligators are Ectothermic, meaning they depend on their outside environment to wake up and get their circulation going.
And Many Thanks for not posting the location to protect my Gator. I actually had to stop an elderly gentleman from feeding him that day as he walked to the edge of the retention pond that Ozzy inhabits with his cup of some as yet unidentified fried tidbits. "Watch this!" he said. I quickly intercepted him, hand up as he stopped with a bewildered look on his face, my mantra of 'A Fed Gator is a Dead Gator' rolling off my tongue. I explained that when Alligators are fed they lose their natural fear of humans and begin to approach people, expecting a handout. Alligators are opportunistic feeders and who doesn't like a free meal? Unfortunately, this is how they often get into trouble, coming out of the safety of the water, sometimes even being attracted to dogs that accompany the well intentioned. If it moves, it's food. When Alligators become a Nuisance they must be removed from their familiar environments into the wilds of the Green Swamp or Holly Shelter wetlands. When they are relocated, they face new dangers in an unfamiliar terrain, full of much larger Gators which are cannibalistic. Life for an Alligator is not easy anywhere and I read somewhere once only half of relocated Gators survive the move. Most meet their demise trying to return home on our ever increasingly busy roadways. I thanked my new friend for trying to help me get an action shot and a smile creased the corners of his eyes as he refrained from feeding our friend. Ozzy fared the winter well, sleek and shiny after a few cleansing dips into his green pool. Here's to many more sightings of my Scaley Scuted Friends in this most welcome transitional month of March with its ever increasing temps, the winds and my favorite part - Daylight Savings Time! Remember, never pass up a chance to educate... Knowledge is good... Pass it on... it saves lives... Closing out 2023 with recent memories of a particular Southport sunrise shared with a dear - out of state - friend as we walked and chatted, catching up with each other's lives.
Sharing in the splendor of the promise of a new day and the coming of a new year, on this reunion, already planning our next. That's what life is all about, living in the moment and looking forward not dwelling on the past and its mishaps, focusing on friendship and connections, not separations. Get out today and revel in the Hope that it brings, grateful for the opportunities offered. Look up into the Skies with arms outstretched wide and a heart just as open. Be thankful and experience every second; create treasured memories - not regrets. For this is a New Day that will not reveal its chance again. Take it! Enjoy it and then move on. Here is to 2024 and all it has to offer to your life. Happy New Year Ya'll! It will be what you make it ... Nothing more... Nothing less... |