Gator Crossing

I now have a picture and witnesses (Holly, Mom and Dad and the kids) to prove that there really IS an alligator that lives in the river down by our house. Our alligator friend must know when we've got visitors, because she made herself known while Holly was visiting in July and again this last Tuesday when my parents were here.

She really puts on a quite a show. She glides right over near the bridge and swims back and forth right up close (so we can look down on her from the safety of the bridge) for a good view each time I've seen her with out-of-state guests. She's about six feet long. Experiencing a wild alligator is way more exciting than seeing one in an alligator farm, because there's no tour guide or fence between you and the alligator!

We must have eaten some of her cousin the other day, too. Dad ordered fried alligator as an appetizer when we went to Don's Seafood in Hammond. Tasted like chicken. Just kidding. :) Dawson wanted some of my "chicken," so I gave him some "chicken." He ate the 1/2 piece I gave him and then I asked him if he wanted more. He scrunched his nose and said, "No, that's yucky chicken." Justis didn't much like it, either. Jillian's and Madalynn's tongues knew no different, however. They ate the alligator right down. The heavy marinade the alligator had been soaked in made it hard for my dad, mom, Travis and I to decide if we liked it for the marinade or the meat.

We saw a boy swimming in the river (the same one we saw the alligator in) this afternoon when we came home from church. Travis and I looked at each other like, "Is he crazy? Should we go back and tell him we've seen a gator in there?" Travis and I assume those Louisiana natives know something we don't about swimming in alligator waters. On the other hand, he's the first person we've ever seen swimming in the river... Hope that alligator doesn't get hungry for human!