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Erin

Coddiwompling through life, guided by my love of nature and insatiable curiosity.

Pattern Recognition

When out roaming nature this time of year I’m on high alert – because it’s alligator mating season. The males are on the move searching for females and as such they are a bit more rambunctious (or aggressive, depending on your point of view).

It’s funny how quickly this pattern became ingrained in my head as a warning. I took an immediate step back in both instances, though a second later I realized it wasn’t necessary for the latter.

I am not overly afraid of them but I also don’t want to become a statistic. Since 1948, there have only been 26 recorded cases of human death by alligator in Florida. Considering the species now numbers over 1.3 million in the state, that’s a tiny fraction.

Adorable Marsupial

Virginia Opossum, Largo, Florida April 2021

I stopped by the nursery after work today to pick up a few native plants for my yard. As I wandered the backlot I met this fuzzy Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana).

I know they have hairless, rat-like tails but I still find them rather cute. They are especially good to have around considering all the ticks and other pests that they choose to dine on.

This one seemed a bit sleepy, so after I snapped a few shots I slowly backed away and gave it some room to relax.

Cousins on the Coast

My cousin, Shane and her family, visited Orlando for their Spring Break recently. Lucky for me they came over my way last Friday.

Even though the day started off a cool and breezy 52 degrees by mid-afternoon it was in the low 70s and warm enough for a trip to the beach.

After lunch, we spent the entire rest of the day playing and relaxing with our toes in the sand. A nearby surf fisher kept us entertained as he caught two sharks and then a stingray in short succession.

We stayed for sunset, hoping for a green flash, but no such luck. Regardless, it was a wonderful day. My only complaint? Their visit ended too quickly.

Hopefully, I’ll see them all again real soon!