Alligator

Here is the deal, we have a sea inlet that divides part of the city in two. It is maybe a Kilometer long and I guess some 80 feet at its widest. I have no idea how deep it is, or if the water is sweet or salty, I know it is brackish. For a long time I have been hearing that alligators live there so I go at least twice a week to see if I can catch a glimpse of one. Today I got lucky. Now I want to be clear, I do not know if this is an alligator a crocodile or a cayman. Whatever it is it looks mean.

I had been told where to look for it and that is where I went today, without much hope, but there it was. So I started taking pictures. It was close to nine a.m. and unfortunately there was a lot of glare, the trees cast a lot of shadows on the water and for some reason my hands were even shakier than usual. Maybe because I calculated this guy was some five feet long and who could say there wasn't an eight foot long one around there. So I was kind of edgy and a little nervous.

But I take prevention seriously, there was a car parked some thirty feet away and I figured even though these animals are way faster than I, plus I have had a terrible back ache lately, if I saw that animal take a turn for the shore I could reach the car and jump on its roof before that animal took me. Of course I don't know if these animals can jump or not, but I was sure hoping they don't.

Well, I was happily using that shutter when I heard a rustling behind me. I had this sinking feeling that somehow the eight foot monster I thought might be around had ambushed me. So I straightened up ready to make a run for it. But it was only a dog, I have never cursed out a dog as much as I cursed this one.

The five pictures I posted are different, they just look the same because that animal never moved, I just think he did move his eye to look at me. Of course I did throw a few pebbles to see if it would move, but I threw them very weakly making sure I didn't hit him, I did not want any savage response either. But, no that guy was just not moving, I think if I go there right now he will be in the same position.

Well I did get my wish, I was able to photograph an alligator in the wild.