POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE...OF MY POND / ALLIGATOR 'STALK-ARAZZI'

THIS IS WHAT I SAW AS I GLANCED UP FROM MY KITCHEN SINK WHILE PREPARING CURRIED CHICKEN FOR DINNER LAST NIGHT....

Last evening while I was in the kitchen fixing dinner, our old friend "Ally" made an appearance just outside my window on the bank of our pond. "Ally" is one of the alligators living in the pond on our property and as best as I can tell, it is now a pretty "healthy" 7 or 8 feet long. You could say its our version of "Nessie" the Loch Ness Monster -- elusive and somewhat even of a myth. Ahh...but now I have proof!!

Its been a while since I've gotten a glimpse of the alligator that calls our pond "home" and its apparent that he/she is eating well. The last time I saw it, it was quite a bit smaller and it appears there is something in the pond that is sustaining him/her!

THESE PICTURES DON'T DO MUCH TO REALLY GIVE YOU THE PROPER IDEA OF THE SIZE/LENGTH...BUT THEY PROVE IT'S THERE! :)

I'm also sure that this is not the only alligator we have out there -- and I'm pretty sure that it knows when we are looking at it because without exception, every time we see it, go to get the camera or decide to walk outside to get a closer look, it inevitably turns around and slides back into the water. No lie -- everytime! I feel like a member of the paparazzi, running through the house to find my camera, only to find the alligator gone by the time I get back to the window... So, even though these pics are blurry, at least I got them this time!

YEP...RIGHT ON CUE... HE/SHE IS TURNING AROUND TO SLIDE BACK INTO THE WATER -- GUESS IT SAW ME WITH MY CAMERA AND BINOCULARS AGAIN!

And, trust me, we keep an eye on our sweet dog, Nick, whenever he goes outside. Being a Lab, he's bred to love the water and he's been known to head straight for a swim in the pond. Since the appearance of the alligators a couple of years ago, we are vigilant about keeping him out of the pond! :)

Just thought I'd share a little bit of "Florida living" with you. And for those of you who find this whole alligator things horrifying, I do, too! But, I think I might be just as mortified to see a moose or a big bear or deer appear in my yard (if I lived up north), so I guess we all have our own regional "oddities". :)

On a totally different subject, we took in a HUGE new shipment yesterday and only unpacked it very late last night....I will be busy taking pics of all the new goodies (no more alligator pictures!) so I can get the things up on the site! Stay tuned!

Enjoy this fine, last day September!