I am driving thru miles and miles of the Florida Everglades over the old Tamiami Trail. Gators to the left of me.  Gators to the right.  I spot so many alligators in the trenches on the side of the road that it becomes commonplace.  Presumably watching the tourist go by. Maybe it's their version of the Food Channel ... they are watching us to pass time working up an appetite for dinner.

The old Tony Joe White song pops into my head.   "Poke Salad Annie" ... "Gator got your granny" ... "cause her momma was workin' on a chain gang...."   I'm thinking that Poke Salad girl had a rough start in life.  It's one of those tunes that you can't get out of your head once it starts playing inside your skull.  So I just go with it as a sound track to my drive thru the gator laden swamp land. 

I'm still unshaven from my sailing trip to Cuba. With my beard I fit right into the untamed watery wilderness surrounding me.

The Florida Everglades are an interesting place to visit. A reminder that America is a vast place filled with a wonderful assortment of creatures. And some of those creatures would love to have you stop by for dinner. Chomp ... chomp ... chomp.