It is Tuesday and time to write a 'Slice of Life."
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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
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Oh, Maureen, your poem and post are both delightful. I love the end of your poem, and I can completely understand your feelings of trepidation. I really do not think I’ve seen an alligator as close as you have. I cannot recall a single time of seeing an alligator in real life so maybe I haven’t. Thanks for sharing your experiences with alligators.
I could seriously have gone WITHOUT seeing alligators; it was unnerving to see so many. Fun to be silly about them from the safety of my home, lol. Thanks, Barb!
So much fun from start to finish, from slide and silly song to brother’s witty advice (and I agree!) We used to drive Gator Alley through the Glades when we lived in Florida, sometimes at night. We worry about elk on the roads here, but there it was definitely the alligator in the headlights that captured our attention.
They are very unique beings. We read that they have virtually no predators, once they grown quite large – yikes! Thanks, Trish.
Maureen, when I lived on Hilton Head, we had an alligator that had to be removed from the lagoon behind our house when it got a lot of complaints and finally got a neighbor’s dog. One of the most recent stories of a tragedy was so sad – my son’s good friend was a first responder to that incident and was so disturbed by how quickly it all happened and the aftermath. Yes, it is unnerving. They appear to be so lazy, just napping – and then they charge. I must tell you sometime about the four foot gator I held until the game warden came. You can rubber band their mouths shut, but if they are shut, you cannot possibly pry them open. That is a story for another day, but I’m glad you are being safe and playing the fun games with your granddaughter! Baby shark, only baby alligator games – – so much fun in the fear!
I have an image of you clamping that four foot alligator, and it fills me with fear. They can be so fast, unexpected. Scary stuff. And yes, children love to ‘play’ the fear; I was thankful to visit without young children around. That would have kept me on edge the whole trip. Thanks, Kim!
Maureen,
This took a turn I did not expect. What begins as a playful diddy scared the bejeezus out of me! Your pics are fantastic, I think, and I love your poem. It’s clever and appropriate to the story you’ve told.