DON'T STEP ON THE GATORS! Look out though!!!

Gator sleeps by sidewalk where you walk...carefully! see my P.S.

Here’s a great story from our friend Hal’s family...from way back.

“When I saw the Nude Beach post and the photo of the pretty, and probably scantily clad if not nude lady in the water, this old family story came to mind."

According to my Dad, this is true.

My brother and I used to spend a lot of time pretending we were crocogators in local swimming pools. We delighted in swimming up to girls and grabbing their shoulders like we were biting them. (Hey, we were kids and had no idea that there were "better" parts to hand-bite!)

My Dad told us about his grandfather homesteading land in the Tampa/St. Pete 

area of Florida starting just after the end of World War I.

Each year, my great grandfather and great grandmother would live the required 6 months from about December through the following May before returning home a couple of states northward. In mid-November, an old fellow that worked for my great grandfather would precede them to the house and get it opened up for their 

arrival. He'd cut grass, trim shrubbery, thin out the mouse population and other 

such activities.

One December, about two weeks after the family's yearly arrival, Mr. Hal (my great grandfather) asked his hire hand to go down to the spring and get a couple of buckets of water.

In about ten minutes time, the hired hand was back, but he had no water and...more... 

 no buckets.

My great grandfather asked his man Ish, who was sweating profusely and breathing 

very hard, where the water and buckets were.

Ish replied, "Mr. Hal, they's a crocogator in that spring !!".

Mr. Hal replied, "Now, Ish, you know that gator is as afraid of you as you are 

of it."

Ish quickly said, "Well, then, Mr. Hal, that water ain't fit to drink!".

   Thanks Hal...keep the stuff coming...ain’t no gators here...got a lot of ducks though!

                                    -----------------------

P.S.

Here’s an add for you.  From the interview with Tom Jicha of the Ft. Lauderdale newspaper :

 When an out-of-towner comes to South Florida and I want to impress them I take them to... 

 “They would go to South Beach and Las Olas on their own. I’d surprise them and take them to Shark Valley, part of the Everglades Park, just off Tamaiami Trail.  Without telling them why, I'd make them take the trail and watch their expressions when we had to walk around the first gators dozing on the walkway!” 

P.P.S. The Park Ranger told me they have NEVER had a problem!

stanmajor@aol.com