One of the features of wildlife here, are the alligators. Not crocodiles please, alligators or  ‘gators. We have a small one, (Ally, pathetic, isn’t it?), about six feet long who comes by every now and again. All you can see are his nostrils and his eye knobs out of the water.  The rest is submerged. He is totally silent and he sinks out of sight with the tiniest ripple. My neighbor, a Florida Cracker born and bred, says don’t worry, just flip him on his back and he can’t do anything. Thanks Dave, but if you don’t mind, I will wait in the house ’til he goes away.

Speaking of Florida Crackers, it was the name given to the Florida cowboys who used to crack their  whips to herd the cattle to market. They are interesting, down to earth people and really great company. They even have a Cracker Trail, marking the route that they used to take. When the cattle are in the fields, they are usually accompanied by White Egrets (birds), who walk around the cattle, picking insects stirred up by their feet. The Florida Crackers have their own name for them, of course. Cattle Egrets, or my favorite, Florida Chickens.

One of the other wonderful sights here is to see the the white herons and the blue herons, flying. On land, they hardly look capable of  flying with their long waders legs, but when you see them taking about one flap of their wings every fifteen feet or so, they are so graceful, it fills you with such a pleasure that these wonderful creatures are still around. Long may it continue.

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