It is March and time for the 17th Annual Slice of Life Story Challenge! Thank you, Two Writing Teachers, for creating this supportive community of teacher-writers!
I use my arms as a long set of alligator teeth as Bird sails down the slide, and I pretend to bite her, singing
Alligator, Alligator I want to be your friend I want to be your friend I want to be your friend, too [one final chomp, with bravado]
This child’s jingle always leads to laughter, as they evade my chomping. I am not sure which early childhood “mentor” teacher (is such silliness “mentoring”?) offered this earworm to me.
I have long wondered why one would be friends with an alligator.
What a scandalous idea to teach children, right?
Wanting to show my granddaughters a photo of a real alligator, I searched for “alligator” in my vacation photos. Google only recognized a sculpture of an alligator from someone’s backyard, taken more than a year ago.
Yet, I had taken several photos of alligators on our trip this past week to the Lowcountry, South Carolina. Where did these photos go?
We came across several alligators. Bounteous alligators. Seriously, at least two dozen alligators, lazing about, as we meandered the island over the course of our week-long vacation. They are everywhere, these dark green mysterious dangerous beings. Everywhere you go, there are also warning signs, big bold letters about ALLIGATORS LIVE HERE and USE CAUTION. Here are the warnings:
- Assume every body of water contains an alligator - Stay at least 60 feet (4 car lengths) away from alligators. - Alligators are ambush predators and can move faster than you or your pets. - Keep yourself, pets and children away from water’s edge. - Swimming or wading is prohibited in Sea Pines’ waterways. - Feeding or harassing alligators is dangerous and illegal. - When fishing or crabbing do not throw used bait or fish parts into the water
I am a cautious person. I am often an obedient rule-follower. I am also curious, especially about nature. I do love to take photos when I am out and about. So I snuck a few photos, when we happened upon alligators. Obviously, very bad images from a scaredy-cat photographer, because Google didn’t even discern them as existing. Let me share them with you.
Here’s an alligator on our side of the bike path, as we turned the curve on our bikes:
Here, we saw several alligators lazing on the opposite side of a lagoon:
Here’s an alligator in the forest preserve (you can spot the warning sign, on the left):
My less-than-vivid photos show you that I was hasty, hesitant, and not hovering over alligators. The only way one can begin to discern an image is through editing the photo and zooming in. I think I will share the image of the alligator sculpture with my granddaughters, so that they might actually ‘see’ one.
Yes, I was unnerved by these sightings. One hears and reads horrid stories about alligators attacking people. Terrifying!
“They” say that alligators will eat anything. When their stomachs are cut open, after they die, there is evidence of trash and leaves and metal and bones and more.
Once, we heard a really loud splash as we studied a turtle at the forest preserve, and immediately wondered – wait, is there an alligator nearby? We hopped right back on our bikes, and bantered as we pedaled quickly away –
I heard their eyesight is limited.
I heard you can’t tell if they are asleep or looking right at you.
I heard they only run straight, so you should run or pedal away in a zigzag.
I heard you should simply run faster than the people you are with.
(This last advice from my witty brother.)
_______
Let me close with an alligator poem, my attempt at a playful Double Dactyl, inspired by Wendy Everard, in today’s Ethical ELA Open Write.
Alligate-Alliwait Missus McGoo on bike Slowing down taking pic While full of fright Step too close, pause too long Irrecoverably Alligate for the win Not pretty sight
Thank you for visiting my blog. Clicking the title of any post will open a comment box at the bottom of the page. I love hearing from you.