alligators.wild horses.turtles.and the moon.

one morning...last week...early...

we went for a walk.

a short hike...at a park not far from here. La Chua Trail. Paynes Prairie.

it's only about a three mile hike altogether.

we've been to this park many times...nothing ever remains the same.

the water goes up...the water goes down...

the gators get bigger & BIGGER...and new ones are born.

the last time we walked this trail, was back in october.
the gators were a little sparse.  i did a post on that day's hike also.
you can check it out here if you WANT more GATOR: "el lagarto".

THIS day though...there were  SO many alligators!

probably because the weather's warming up and the water was higher...

the first part of the trail is along an elevated boardwalk.

you're looking down into the 'sink hole'. Alachua Sink.

"Don't taunt the alligator until after you've crossed the creek."

~Dan Rather

after about a half  mile, the boardwalk comes to an end 

and you're walking a dirt trail which runs along the edge 

of one of the Sink's tributaries.

these babies are about 2 weeks old. 

the ranger said they were born about a month earlier than normal.

their mother was right there...not 3 feet away...

watching...protecting.

(approx 8 - 12 inches long)

part of the Sink...where the water doesn't flow...is covered with algae.

and so is everything else that comes out of there...

turtles and gators...living in harmony...

for now.

a Snowy Egret...patiently waiting for a fish to swim by.

and one did! he speared it with his beak!

a gator...resting...at the water's edge.

this one's debatable. hmmmm. right on the cusp...

teenager? adult?

but definitely not a baby anymore!

(they reach breeding maturity at 8 - 13 years, or  6 - 7 feet long)

this one's a toddler.

the banded tail means it's still fairly young...

(overall - approx 2 feet long)

they say you can estimate how BIG a gator is by the size of it's head.

measuring from the tip of the nose to the eyes...

if the head looks to be 12 inches long, then the gator is probably 12 feet!

ONE inch = ONE foot.

some of the gators we saw looked to be at least 15 feet long!

this same park also has Wild Horses and Bison.

a few weeks ago while hiking a different trail, 

we were lucky enough to have the horses stop on the trail ahead of us!

we just had to sit tight...and wait for them to cross the trail.

they  say not to get too close...the Alpha male is very protective!

we've never seen any of the Bison there. 

we've talked with other people along the trail, 

 who HAVE seen them...but they didn't see the horses...

so i guess it just all depends on your timing...luck.

we DID see EVIDENCE of the Bison though...ALL ALONG the trail...

watch your step!

(yes! this picture will be reappearing 

in my future post titled "one crappy post")

across the park...and back to the gators...

a Great Blue Heron...

and a flying turtle...

Weeeeeeee!!

and so...the trail comes to an end...

see ya later alligator. in a while crocodile.

(all about the American Alligator: click here)

back home...the day comes to an end...

looking through the trees out front...the setting sun...

and then the moon...looking out back...almost clearing the trees.

spooky...

and then rising above the trees...

what a nice way to end the day...

a full moon. the Super Moon...

the closest the moon has been to the earth in 18 years.

oOo

BUT, before i sign off...there's something i have to mention.

Blogger Awards.

i've talked about this before. 

of course, we all like to be recognized...we want to know that people 

actually READ what we write...and enjoy what they see.

BUT...how can i possibly pass on an award...to only a few?

how can i PICK other bloggers out of those i follow?

i'm sorry - but i can't.

i am truly humbled...and honored.....that someone thought me worthy of an award.

everyone deserves an award. everyone deserves recognition.

(LOOK at my sidebar...the other blogs i follow! they ALL deserve a READ!)

so please know...with deepest gratitude...i very much appreciate the thought...

your acknowledgement of me.  :]

PLEASE...visit Keda at Journey Keeper

AND Susan at KardKornerKrib !!

(you'll be glad you did)

thank you  :)  

they are worthy of the awards they received...

oOo

anyway, enough said 'bout that!

thanks for wandering. stay cool.

have a safe journey...enjoy the ride!

:] laura

"What lies behind us and what lies before us 

are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

~Walt Emerson

early morning quickie...

it's saturday morning. early.  

no sun peeking over the horizon yet...or through the trees.

it's been a busy week.

yay!  i picked up 6...yeah, SIX...new 'once a month' clients.

today we're helping a long time client of mine move. finally.

out of an abusive relationship...into a new place. 

today's the only time we can do this for him...

because his 'partner' isn't home right now.

 in fact, his partner got so messed up on crack...

he's having a stay in jail at the moment.

so after a few years of trying to convince my client to 'get out'...

he's finally doing it. now's his chance. now's the time.

we have a truck and enclosed trailer...and will be there early this morning

to help pack & load all his stuff.  so i better start typing fast.

OH, and tomorrow we go to the GatorNationals!

the NHRA drag races.  we go every year...usually for all 3 days of races...

this year only one day...sunday...for the finals.

we'll be there from early morning 'til evening, so i better start typing faster!

oOo

pretty pansies.

at least they like the cooler weather...because all of a sudden it's

gotten cooler again...down to low 30's at night.

the azaleas like it cooler too...the bushes are covered with buds...

some are starting to open!

earlier in the week it was raining...pouring...we really needed it.

i keep a HUGE bucket outside to collect rainwater in...for watering plants.

i noticed this little june bug got stuck in there...luckily he found his way onto

the safety of a leaf...and was floating round and round...

yeah, yeah...don't worry...i'm not THAT sadistic...i only watched him for a little while 

and then took little june bug and his surfboard out of there, and set him on the ground!  :-]

BUTTERFLIES!

  i've been seeing them. they fly through the yard...

like they're on a mission...rarely stopping. 

swallowtails...the Eastern Black and Tiger.

i'll keep trying to get a picture...maybe next time.

but i did get a picture of the tiny Red-banded Hairstreak!

first time ever i was able to snap one of these.

he  must have just emerged from his cocoon...or whatever...

because he was just sitting there...cleaning himself...rubbing his legs together...

and let me get THAT close to get this picture!

Tent Caterpillars. 

know why they're called that? 

because they spin a web-like tent in the crook of a tree...

eventually hundreds of these little hairy caterpillars climb out...

and down...foraging for food.

ok...now just take 59 seconds to watch this time lapse video from You-Tube.

it's kinda creepy...it might make your skin crawl...but it's amazing!

(yikes! it's starting to get light out...i have to hurry!)

we're not worrying too much about the caterpillar invasion.

we have enough birds around to take care of it...keep it under control.

(male cardinal)

AND of course we have LOTS of lizards!

LOOK! he even has his mouth open...he's salivating...

just waiting for one of those  caterpillars to cross his path!

well...you know i wanted to ramble on...i'm good at that...

BUT i just know my client's going to call any time now. for an early start...

so i have to get ready...

The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter.   
~Mark Twain

ONE more thing...ONE of my finished JAWBONES!

ok..well, maybe i can get back here some time during the week...

i have more pictures...quotes...

so, 'til then...

stay cool.

have a safe journey. enjoy the ride!

:] laura

We are what we believe we are.   

~C.S. Lewis

(once again...mother nature strikes.
 my thoughts go out to the people of Japan and all those affected
by the devastating earthquake and tsunami.
a moment of silence...)

yard textures...mostly...

as i was walking around the yard...

trying to spot the owls...

i began to notice all the patterns, shapes...and designs...scattered around.

things i see every day...but for some reason...

that day i wanted to touch everything.  feel.

oOo

BUT, as i was pondering this...shadows were being cast on the ground...

all around me.

i looked up. vultures. circling...again!

they must be waiting to see if any of the bones i brought home,

had meat left on them. 

nope.  not usually.

here's my outside bone table...

where the bones remain while nature works on 'em.

oOo

OK...so the vultures flew off...in their circular pattern...

searching someplace else...

and i started thinking again about all the yard textures!

It is a great art to saunter.   

~Henry David Thoreau 

so i went to get my camera...

 hard. rock.

 colorful, veiny oak leaf hydrangea

(ok, so veiny isn't a word. full of veins.)

 dry. broom.

 prickly. cactus.

 soft. fluffy. feathers.

 hard. rusted. metal.

 sutures. bone. deer skull.

 bumpy. sea urchin.

 grainy. ant hill.

holy. leaf. well, i wasn't praying to this leaf...so, actually it's a holey leaf.

(although i guess you could say all things in nature are sacred...)

porous. limestone.

 strong. tough. cement.

 swirly. wood.

 crunchy. leaf.

soft. hairy. squirrel tail.

(wondering how i took such a close-up of this little critter's tail?

i stumbled across a dead one in the front yard. 

now how many times have you actually seen a dead squirrel 

that was anywhere except in the road? 

the only thing we can figure is that it got hit by a car...

ran into our yard...and that's where it took its last breath.

it's a wonder that it hadn't been carried off by the hawks or owls!

we buried it.)

 hard. headed. (just kidding sam!)

downlike. sam's balding crown.

ok...so this is where sam's head hair went...to his face!

cushy. wiry-ish. (i love making up my own words!)

shadowy. fleeting. me.

Be kind to your shadow.  

~Rebecca Lawless 

oOo

and one more for the road.

we DID spot the owls. 

they have about 5 different trees they've taken a liking to.

so if they're in the yard...

we can usually see them perching on one of their favorite branches.

that's it for now. stay cool. be safe. wander.

The place where you lose the trail is not necessarily the place where it ends.  

~Tom Brown, Jr. 

laura  :]