Top Ten...Friday?

Sorry Jenni, I just can't seem to get with the program.

Wildlife around here.

1. Alligators. So friendly. I'll never understand why people swim in bodies of water around here. I mean, when I read articles in the paper about people getting "attacked" by alligators while swimming in a lake or pond, it's just hard for me to feel sorry for them. We live in Florida people! Don't swim in the water. Alligators live there!!! They get hungry, too.

2. Sandhill cranes. It's illegal to feed them. Not that I've ever done that or anything. We named this guy Pete, and then one day he came by with two babies. Oh, I guess we should have named her Georgette or something like that.

3. Ibis. They're weird. Not quite as friendly as Pete there.

4. Turtles. It's always fun to go to the beach and see about a 4'x4' area cordoned off for "turtle nest." I wish I could see them hatch one day. This snapping turtle was trying to commit suicide and we nearly lost some fingers getting him off the road. And by "we" I mean, Del.

5. Caterpillars. Lots of different kinds. I found a baby one of these guys on our mail box a couple of days ago. Cute, but I don't know what they become.

6. Osprey. Lovely birds. See his fish lunch?

7. Dolphins. I haven't been able to get a really good picture yet. That's Tampa Bay and the city of Apollo Beach across the bay. And see the pelican there; we have lots of pelicans.

8. Spiders. Scarey lookin' but apparently harmless.

9. Snakes. I'm scared of snakes unless someone is holding it by the head and I can touch his back.

10. Slime mold. Okay, so it's not an animal, but...I just can't get over how fascinating it is.

I guess I should throw stuff in there like sharks and jelly fish, but to be honest if I ever got close enough to a shark to take a picture, I doubt I would be taking pictures, I'd be swimming for my life. Unless it was a nurse shark, then that would be okay. We see barracudas here, too. Neat.... Darn I guess I should mention manatees, too. Okay, see...there's just too many of them. But I don't have a good picture of a manatee either, so there.