Way down in the murky bayou deep....

Way down in the murky bayou deep, where the snakes crawl and alligators creep....

Those are the opening lines to a poem that my oldest son and I wrote many, many years ago. We would sit in the rocking chairs listening to all of the creatures wailing and howling in the Bayou and couldn't help but put it in words. Now, though, there is something missing from my Bayou. This summer has brought concerns to the whereabouts of my local alligator. It is missing. I have not seen the gator for the past several months. Perhaps it has moved on to less populated areas since the new homes being built on the opposite side of the Bayou have encroached upon its territory. Or perhaps one of these new neighbors took a disliking to my gator..afraid that it might eat them or their pets. Whatever the case may be, my gator is not showing its face around the pier any more and this makes me a bit sad. I liked my gator!

Alligator knocking at my door,

Pond's dried up, no rain in store,

Alligator says, "If it 'taint no chore,

I need some water--a tubful or more!

This little verse was written by my aunt, Helen Chapman Manning, about probably the same alligator that made the Bayou its residence. Back when my children were small, my dad arrived home from fishing one morning to find a small alligator at his backdoor. The poor little thing was obviously looking for water as that summer was much like this one..dry. Dad reached down and grabbed the gator and put it in a bucket. After much viewing by the grandkids and neighbors, I volunteered to let the gator loose in my Bayou. So...the bucketed gator and three small children were loaded into my car and we headed home. Once here, Hubby took the bucket of gator on the long trek down the hill to the Bayou edge but before he reached the marsh, the gator was up and out of that bucket! I have never seen three kids and a mom scatter so fast! Gators are not slow creatures! I am supposing that it smelled the saltwater and decided enough was enough! He was making a dash for the marsh! As soon as we gathered our wits about us, we all broke out in fits of laughter as we watched the gator skitter down the hill. In retrospect, I am just really happy that the gator decided to make its break somewhere other than inside the car! Can you imagine the consequences of a crazy mom, three little children and a loose alligator all in the same car?? I am definitely sure that would have been a mite difficult to explain had it caused me to drive off into a ditch or something! Just try telling a tow truck driver that you had an alligator loose in your car..I promise you will garner some very strange looks!

I do believe that alligator was one and the same that was still in my Bayou. It had grown to be near eight feet long and seemed to be doing well. But now..it is gone. Someone told me that when gators reach about that age, they will hunt for a mate and suitable nesting sites. I do hope that is the case with my gator and that it has not met with some unfortunate circumstance. Gator, gator..I miss seeing you!