Alligator tales

A fisherman was attacked and killed by a 12 foot long alligator in a park on the lake the other day.  It wasn't anybody I knew, although it’s probably someone I might recognize.  We bike to the park adjacent to the one he died at.  The one we go to has a high, concrete boardwalk to protect one from the creatures of the deep.  There are often fishermen and women on the boardwalk.  

The park he was at was a new one.  It is right on the water, just the grass and the water.  I don’t understand why he would fish there? But apparently he did almost every night.  I wonder if he fished for relaxation, or for food?  Many of the people who fish in this lake are poor folks.  Honestly, that's one heavily polluted lake.  I wouldn't eat a fish from that body of water, but then again I don't have to.  Right?

There are so many alligators in Florida, and they can be terrifying.  No one swims in the lakes. People are urged not to walk their dog, or let their children play around the holding pond in their developments.  If you see a body of water, you can assume it has alligators. 

It sounds like he was holding up his “catch” trying to take a picture of it when the gator jumped out of the water and attacked.  That dangling fish must have seemed like an invitation to the alligator?  So sad.

The authorities claim they caught and killed the "killer."  But I doubt it.  Alligators drag their kills into the water and let them rot a little before they eat them.  The wildlife experts were having trouble getting to the body because there were so many alligators underwater.  How could they possibly know which one killed him?

I think the alligator was simply being an alligator in an area that has been overdeveloped ridiculously close to the wildlife.  

When an alligator lives near your home.

An alligator in his lake

My day today

I had the best nap this afternoon! We spent the late morning walking through the woods on the Oakland Preserve boardwalk looking for interesting flora and fauna. It's a beautiful day, warm but not hot or humid. Cloudy enough for good photo moments here and there. When we returned home, I spent some time at the computer cropping the photos I took. When I was done I could hardly keep my eyes open. I joined our 20 pound cat, Murray, on the bed where he did his best to keep me awake.  

Finally he calmed down and I fell asleep. I had a fun dream about a genealogy search wherein I found a 19th century settler I had been looking for (in the dream, not in real life). Name, dates of birth and death, etc., but when I woke up I forgot the particulars.  

There are a couple of sandhill cranes that have a nest around the holding pond that still has some understory, at the end of our development. The other day we heard they had a baby. On our way home today we stopped and sure enough, there they were. That baby sure is adorable.  

An alligator kind of day.

We have company visiting from NYS, so we took them on the wildlife drive at Lake Apopka. We saw 65 alligators, which was fun for all. Here are some of them. Happy New Year!

Just the tail

Alligator's Delight

9:22 am
The powers that be re-opened the wildlife drive near me, where there are scads of alligators and birds to view safely from one's car. It had been closed because of the pandemic. Apparently the alligators are more plentiful than ever, and lie in the road now. IN the road, not alongside it like the pictures below. After a couple of months with no cars, they think they own the place.

We usually go for a bike ride (or a walk) every morning.  Today my knee is "hinky" and I'm going to take a day off to rest it.  My husband took this as the opportunity to bike on the aforesaid drive, which I am usually reluctant to do. He's there now. I KNOW he's going to ride his bike around the lounging gators. 

I told him to be safe.  That's code for "don't underestimate the alligators." He laughed and said he would.  Sheesh.

11:53 am  He's back, He was careful.  Yay.