Sunday, June 01, 2008

Getting Close

Saturday's post never happened due to a series of events that all conspired against me. It went something like this ...

EVENT #1: THE PUPPIES: I am the predawn early riser in this household and the puppies have already adjusted their caninological clocks to awaken at the precise moment my eyes open. Their yapping begins around 5:30 am and of course, I can't ignore their cries, so I let them out of the crate and we dash for the front yard before any accidents can happen.

Back inside, they need to eat and play. We wrestle, eat, wrestle, eat, wrestle. Then, it's back outside again.

Everyone else in the house is still soundly asleep of course. Outside in the cool morning, I can feel my window of coffee-fueled, early morning muse time ticking away ...

TICK, TICK, TICK ...

EVENT #2: THE GARAGE SALE: Early yesterday, Junior and I were directed to load up the living room couches for a garage sale at a friend's house. We wrestled two couches out the front door and onto the JEEP trailer along with a few other items. Then I headed out on the 20 mile drive to civilization and the sale.

After I unloaded the furniture, I took the slow way home through a favorite wild place of mine. Along the way, I nailed some closeup photos of gators and hogs, so the morning was turning sweeter.

It was only about 10:00 am and I was heading home to post with some new pics. Things were looking up. Then, still deep in the woods, my phone rang.

It was Emma at the sale. A lady had bought both couches, but had no way to get them home. Would I return and deliver them?

Arrrrrghh. I turned the JEEP around and headed back to the sale. When that chore was done, I headed home, where a grocery list awaited me. So it was off to the store.

TICK, TICK, TICK ...

EVENT # 3: MULCH and GRADUATION: Back home with groceries unloaded, I got busy spreading the mulch I had picked up in town. When I finished unloading the last bag, I glanced at my watch. YOWZA!

I'd better get cleaned up. Our high school graduation ceremony was in a few hours and I needed to be there as a member of the faculty.

When I got home from graduation, it was about 7:30 pm and there was one more event.

TICK, TICK, TICK ...

EVENT #4: CHINESE FOOD: Every Saturday night, I cook a spicy Chinese stir fry for my bride. So, another hour or so slipped away in a flurry of chopping, stir frying, and eating. At 9:30 I trudged upstairs, flipped on the computer, and dozed off.

TIME EXPIRED!

This morning, I wrote most of my defense plea on paper, sitting at the kitchen table, while the puppies wrestled and chewed on my unprotected toes. They are not allowed upstairs where my computer now resides.

I only tell you all of the above because Pure Florida is a daily blog with few exceptions. I want it to be a place where you can count on something ( granted ...maybe something silly) every day, and generally in the morning.

Having made my case, here is today's post:

It seems to me that wildlife photography is like a good romance ... the closer you get, the more exciting it becomes.

Saturday, I had two chances to get close to some critters. The first one came as I rounded a bend in Devil's Hammock.


Florida Road Hazard
See it?


How about now?



Okay, what about now?

To me, a gator of this size, about 6 feet long, is the most dangerous size when they are on land. That's just my opinion, but the six footer is a unique combination of speed, youth, and flexibility that the biguns lack.

Conversely, the 6 footer in the water is probably afraid of you while the 12 footer will eat you.




This guy really cooperated and did not seem to be in any hurry to return to the waterhole. Perhaps there was a bigger gator already lurking in there somewhere.


Once I was inside his comfort zone, this very patient gator dove into the waterhole in one fluid movement. I was counting on that.

Today promises to be slower paced. I have some gardening to do and already this morning I was graced by a jewelbox spider outside in the sun, so she'll be a post later this week. I've got feral pig and babies pics, puppy pics, owl pics (yawn ...), green egg pics, and of course, all the stuff that's going to happen today, to share with you this week.

Speaking of this week, it's the final week of the school year. You know what that means, doncha?

That's right, I'm unemployed for the next two months.

So, get ready for long rambling posts ...

One last thing. Today is crack the pickle crock open day, so I will post a short pickle update later this afternoon.

Inquiring minds want to know ...

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

O-k, your Friday pictures of the blueberry pancakes talked me into it....I will try again! Yesterday I bought 5 blueberry plants....four of them "Windsor" and one "Powderblue". Prior to purchasing, I looked on a blueberry website and the Windsor plant seems to be one that will do fine in North Florida. I could not find much on the Powderblue, but I understand you need at least 2 plant types for cross-pollination so I thought I would try it. Do you think I should add one more plant-type to the group?

How should I prepare the soil? I don't have a huge area, but it's enough to support 6 or 7 plants.

Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Deb in Florida

Rurality said...

Feral pig! I'm going to vote for the feral pig pics first. If you're taking requests. :)

lej619 said...

Thanks for the warning of the spider pic come later in the week.I'll keep my eye's closed for that one.
as for the others i'll keep them wide open and ready to see what you bring us.

Dani said...

Does Mrs.FC have new furniture picked out??

Deb said...

Yeah, are new living room furniture pictures in the lineup?

I know the feeling of blogging time ticking away. So many ideas, so little time.

Anonymous said...

Golly, a gator! Great! Good gosh, GUMBO!
You're right that time keeps slippin', slippin', slippin' into the future...
The old sofa would have made a perfectly good puppy perch, but I'm certain that laps are warmer.
Stay safe, bro.

Anonymous said...

Great gator photos... but not as great as the purple and gold beauty above that I REALLY want a copy of. (This will be my last hint... maybe.)

You could either quote me a price for a high-resolution copy, or say "no" at the email address on my website... : )

threecollie said...

Six foot lizard.
That close.
Arggghhh!!!!!
I like snakes a lot better.

Anonymous said...

FC speeking of pig’s lighting got so close to a pig she kissed it on Saturday. I have pic that captured the moment.S T E B

Anonymous said...

I couldn't help but notice that you said "we" dash for the front yard before any accidents happen...

Anonymous said...

Great pictures! I will come back!

ImagineMel said...

YAY for pickles! One of my students brought me dills, bread and butter, and as a special bonus...BLACKBERRY JAM! I was a happy happy person. I get to open the B&B today, the dills in two weeks. Even bigger YAY for four more day! :)

R.Powers said...

Deb in FL,
I probably shouldn't give advice ... I may have just been lucky, but here goes ...
I added some peat to my soil before I planted mine and I fertilize them with a liquid fertilizer like Peters or Miracle Gro for ACID LOVING plants. I mulched with pine needles and or pine bark nuggets.
Don't let them set fruit the first year, let them put their energy into growth.
Best of luck with them!

Rurality,
As per your request, Will Feral tomorrow.

Lej,
This is a tiny little spider with a pretty web. The big ones give me the willies too ... and the mid size ones, ... and the fat ones, ...

Dani,
I fear it may be so. I like the empty college dorm look ...

Deb,
I think we spent that money on Gumbo!

Freste,
Safety first bro.

Susan,
Just busy. Patience ... my schedule gets less crazy in a few days.

3C,
I'm sure there were some of those nearby too.

STEB,
Okay, it's time for Dave to come home from China!

Pablo,
Me and two puppies.
Of course, I am housebroken.

For The People,
Welcome to Pure Florida!

Mel,
The whole world seems brighter somehow.