Adorable Child has a friend visiting from up North for a couple of days who has never seen an alligator “in the wild” (her words).
Now, we have alligators all over the place here. I see them in the local bayous all the time, and AC’s friends often talk about the time a gator was at the school bus stop. (Supposedly, “somebody” was called, and they came out and shot it in front of the kids. Sounds like a highly embellished tale to me…).
Unfortunately, I can’t count on alligators sauntering up out of the local ditches on demand… but I was pretty sure I could deliver many wild gators if we went to Brazos Bend State Park.
Sadly, what we saw mostly yesterday were algae-covered turtles — Red Eared Sliders, to be precise.
Okay… and we saw lots of birds. This is probably some kind of warbler, but they all look pretty much alike to me.
But the reason we didn’t see many alligators wasn’t because they weren’t out there. (They were!) The problem was that no matter how many times I tried to tell them that they had to actually walk to see them out in the lakes and swamps, they couldn’t rouse themselves to that much effort.
I vaguely remember this stage in my life, when going anywhere with Mom was a chore, and all I really wanted to do was sleep. In fact, I think I’m grateful nobody recorded my total lack of energy for posterity!
No doubt I should have just left them there, eh? Eventually a grumpy alligator might have strolled up and chomped on one of them.
*sigh*
Just like the birds, they love to talk.
Just like the turtles, they hate to walk.
Ain’t teenagers wonderful?
~EdT.
I took my 14 year old and her friend to Big Bend for spring break once. We started up Lost Mine Trail and they lasted less than a half mile before turning back. I let them sit in the car while I made the climb
I believe your bird is actually a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Wonderful little bird and it does behave a lot like a warbler. We saw tons of them at Brazos when we were there a few weeks ago. They appear to really, really like the park.
Sorry about the alligators, though.
Ah — thanks for the supportive comments, guys. I was feeling like a failure as a mom here.
LOL!
Dorothy, you brilliant birding guru — I believe you’re right! No wonder I couldn’t id that critter! I was looking in the Warblers section!
:>
Rrvit, John! I used to go to Big Bend often between Christmas and New Year’s … ‘camped out’ in my Honda Civic wagon. Love that place!!
Happy New Year, Polimom! (And anyone else who might be reading this comment!)
Oh Poli, I am laughing so hard I can’t tell you! And that photo, the classic oh-my-god-this-is -so-incredibly-boring-but-wouldn’t-be-if-we-were-here-alone pose!!! When my daughter was that age, I tried a couple times to take her similar places. Got the same eye rolling response. BUT I found out later, after she was married and said the “statute of limitations had run out on punishing her” that she had returned to those same places with her friends and boyfriends and had a great time. Nevermind she wasn’t supposed to be driving that far, but who knew? Keep that photo forever, Poli. Then when AC has children you blow it up really big, frame it and send it to her!
Happy New Year, my friend.
There wasn’t a trail we didn’t hike today at Point Lobos. Trails I’ve never explored before, 8 of us then when to Baja cantina….. You’d have loved it
If they don’t want to go leave them behind…I don’t know think they like being dragged….anyway next time drag them here!
Ahhh… but U-Know — it wasn’t even my idea to go hunting up alligators! Which made it even more teenager-y….
Slate, I love your idea. I DO think I’ll get this printed and ready for her. (There are actually quite a number that I could do that with. They just don’t all make it online. LOL!)
If you save that one you have to have the one thats on my frig of 3 teenage girls, forgetting themseves and actually having fun on the beach…three so different yet having the same fun