Sitting here at dawn on the balcony of where I’m staying, watching an alligator named George drift over the lake water surface below, I drink my coffee in uneasy harmony. Most Condo complexes here in Sarasota, Florida have a connecting series of small lakes. Alligators, ducks, lizards, turtles, and big billed birds of all kinds parade, float and squawk past. Occasionally, Wild Kingdom erupts as the top of this curiously civilized food chain bumps into and eats one of the other rungs on the eating ladder. The people living down here in this beautiful Florida patch of paradise refrain from naming all the denizens stopping in and around the Condo complex lake for good reason. Seriously, who wants to watch the usually punctual Tommy the Turtle become a happy meal right in front of their eyes. Should we hold a wake when the formerly paddling princess, Daisy Duck decides the scaled log in the water looks like a great place to rest those tired webbed feet. What about when Big Bird takes her newly named feathered offspring, Bitsy and Bondo down to peck at the water’s edge, unaware nature has decided to teach its first and final lesson of who’s who on the alligator menu. In reality, only one of these characters acquires a name: George the Alligator. In his defense, George never objects when someone cutely names his lunch; but mostly, the observers of this daily dilemma realize menu items should remain anonymous. :)
6 comments:
As Jim Stafford wrote in a song about the Florida swamp in "The Chant". 'Sometimes I wonder what you'd do, if the swamp moved in on you. Scratched on your screen, stepped down your water spout, tapped you on the shoulder 'n' said, "You move out"... I wonder that same thing everytime I take the dog for the late night constitution. Scary!
The true nature of nature will out, won't it?
Shame on George, ruining the pretty little landscape there! ;)
Gulp! That would make for interesting mornings. *g* Hope you're enjoying Florida.
Yea, Sis (Anon), I'm covering the magnificent Maggie in the blog above. :)
Right you are, Raine. George is what makes life exciting for the Sarasota 'Happy Meal Menu Items'. :)
I am indeed, Jordan. The incongruity of this spot is unique. I have alligators along with Wi Fi. :)
Note to self: Don't ever visit Florida.
LOL, Bernita!
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