Gator Bites Anyone?

Our ride arrives.  Manning the helm is Captain Ron.

 Okay Sharon, get your camera ready to roll.








The gang, all ready to go.  Who are those stowaways in the back row?

I figure if one set of ear protectors works, two will work better. We hadn't left the dock yet but Larry and Sherry were ready to go and already having a great time.

 

 It was a beautiful afternoon when we cast off around 3:15.  Blue skys, calm lake.






Poking in and out and all around the shoreline looking for gators.

There's one.  A small one, maybe 4-5 feet.

Nothing in this corner but the trees reflecting on the water was gorgeous.

Okay, here's the other ones brother.  Again about 4-5 feet in length.

Lot's of egrets, cranes and stupid ground scooter birds.

Hey, hey, what do we have here?  Looks like the motherlode....or maybe daddylode.  This one is at least 12-15 feet long...maybe longer.  Captain Ron says it's the biggest one he's seen out there.  Sure, he probably says that to every group.

Look at the pre-platter of gator bites in that tail.

A little further away we came across these little babies...maybe 18-24 inches long.  They grow about a foot a year.

It was fun roaring around through the lilly pads, logs, and vegetation with not a sound from the props...no props...just wind machines on top.  We all just loved it.

















This fella was a bit of a mess, sitting high on a sign waiting for fish to linger too close to the surface and making an easy buffet meal.

 Julian and Sharon Cranford...still working on that camera.












Onward, onward, ever onward, through the muck and mire.

Are we having fun yet?

 By now it was getting old hat to see the little critters slithering away and sinking into the black waters.  Not a good swim hole that's for sure.

Heading back into the coming sunset.

I just love these single isolated cypress trees...or tupelo...I can't remember.  But they sure are pretty.

A beautiful end to the day.

Thanks for visiting.  Come back soon.  Sunday we're moving to Three Flags in Wildwood.  This park is very close to The Villages.