A new alligator

Wednesday afternoon, Priscilla called quietly from the patio: “Do you want to see the alligator?”

Does a dog want to see a pork chop?

I went outside. The alligator floated about 20 feet from the bank of the pond. Two ducks watched, suspiciously, one would think, right next to the bank and 15 feet from the patio, opposite from the alligator.

This is our second alligator. I did not see the first alligator. Priscilla said it was five feet long. The new one is about four feet long. It was out just a few minutes ago. Priscilla said it popped up when she took the dogs outside. Yesterday we had Kathleen’s two pugs. The alligator popped up then, too.

The pond – roughly 100 yards by 200 yards – has a number of fish. The fish jump many times a day. With fish, there are probably turtles as well.

Priscilla said she saw a Sandhill Crane with a catfish yesterday. The fish was around two pounds. She said the crane beat the fish against the ground several times, until movement stopped. Then the crane dipped the fish in the pond and swallowed it.

Today, Priscilla said she saw in the back yard our cormorant, a red wing blackbird, a mocking bird, a great white heron, and a black bird. And the new alligator.