Nuisance People

Our Florida Alligator

For those of you kind enough to come here, I thank you with all my heart.

Today is my “one month” anniversary on WordPress and your support has overwhelmed me. If you are curious, and why wouldn’t you be, about where the title of this Blog came from, it is this.

Many years ago on our first trip to Florida, we went to the Everglades.

My parents were living in Miami Beach at the time and we thought it would be a fun day trip.

It was the middle of August and in South Florida, August is not when you want to be in the Everglades.

The mosquitoes are like a black blanket that covers everything there.

For two people from Los Angeles, where there are few and I do mean few bugs, it was pretty terrifying.

We spent an entire day there and what we saw, was never to be forgotten and started my love affair with this breathtaking place called Florida.

Now for how this Blog got its name.

On that day, just as we were driving in and being very stupid tourists, we pulled over at the sight of our first Alligator resting peacefully on the side of the road.

Now being the idiot that I was, I got out of the car and walked toward this creature I knew nothing about, both hands stretched out like I was going to pet it.

I have a picture of the moment, which has lost itself somewhere in this house, one day to be found again, I hope.

The Alligator was not full-grown, maybe only four feet long, but it could have done some damage, if it has chosen to.
Instead it simply laid there, I am sure thinking, ” this has got to be a joke, stupid tourist. “

Because it did nothing, I turned and walked back to the car and we drove on.

Only after moving down here nearly ten tears ago, did I realize how very lucky I had been that day.

So, when we became permanent Florida residents, I started a web site and called it “Walking with the Alligators” out of my gratitude for what might have been that day and deep respect for what I consider one of this state’s greatest treasures, the Alligator.

So, as you can imagine, when they announced on the News here last night that they were looking for Alligator Trappers in Lake County, to “Dispose of Nuisance Alligators,” I was pretty steamed.

People come here, to this last Garden of Eden in the United States, with its splendiferous array of wildlife and then when our animals do what they normally do in the wild, these idiots go nuts, calling Fish and Wildlife whining, ” Come get these things out of my yard. “

“ Well, duh, you are in their yard, you morons, so why don’t you get out. “

I have zero patience for city people who want to come here, to my newly adopted home and change it, or kill all that makes it the National Treasure that it is.

Florida is truly a spectacular collection of wild life and wild places and it deserves to be respected for just that.

And if this is a problem for you, please go back where you came from.