Trailblazin': Gator Water; What!?

Last night, we decided to get up early and canoe down Silver River this morning. Afterwards, the reality of what I had just agreed to began to creep into my mind. We were about to get into an unstable boat, with my 4 year old tasty morsel of an gator bite, and paddle down gator infested water that held at least one 7 footer as of last week. Did I mention my fear of drowning? Guess how gators kills their prey! One too many national Geographic shows, I know, but I was terrified! Literally. Determined not to miss out on this opportunity to see wildlife and deprive Kylee in the process, I prayed and prayed before I went to sleep. I prayed for peace, I prayed for protection, I prayed that none of us would drown or become gator bait, I prayed the boat wouldn't tip, then I prayed for protection again, and where was that peace I asked for!?

Then the morning of the big day. I was good as we jumped in the truck and headed to the trail head. We approached the dock and the river was beautiful! Birds were everywhere, their song filling the air as fish jumped right up out of the water. Breathtaking! That's when I saw the boat and panic begin to well up within me. My stubborn determination to overcome this fear was met with a glimpse of...you guessed it...our first gator. Right there in the water off to the right of us.


My Nemesis

Almost as if life were taunting me, he just watched us, reminding me of all that made this trip terrifying. My response? I climbed my rump right into the boat. Two seconds later, as Kyle stated putting it in the water, I completely regretted that moment of boldness and was looking for a way to bolt. Too late. Dry land was gone. So with a death grip on the sides of the boat that the jaws of life couldn't have pried off, we set out.

It was at this point Kyle told me I needed to row, which was a happy distraction, though it made me let go of my secure grip on the craft. As I put my paddle into the water, I noticed that it was crystal clear. It was probably 2-3 feet deep and I could see everything! Fish were swimming by, blades of sea grass were billowing in the current when a bird caught my eye. Beautiful blue; he was hunting for breakfast. The beauty and reality that the boat wasn't nearly as tipsy as I thought, allowed me to begin to relax. Beautiful birds were around every bend and the air was filled with their songs.

Crystal Clear - See The Fish?

Little Blue Heron

We were pointing out Double-Crested Cormorants perched with wings spread wide when we spotted a pair of wood ducks. Spectacular! Such brilliant and beautiful color! Definitely relaxing. I was starting to feel comfortable, happy that the boat wasn't going to tip, when we spotted another gator. Swimming over by the bank and bigger then the last one. Surprisingly, I was okay. No panic; no fear. I was loving it! I wasn't too keen on Kyle's idea to get close so he could get a good photo (that's why I want a telephoto lens), but we got as close as I was comfortable and he was happy. Who knew that as the day wore on, I'd be comfortable getting closer and closer.

The water got surprisingly deep in places, I say 20-30 feet, Kyle says 15. Either way, it was stunning to still be able to see the bottom and all that was in between, a school of fish, a turtle that we startled, more grass, Kyle even saw a sunken boat. Incredible! As I looked around in wonder and amazement, I became aware of this feeling that this is where I belonged. I can't explain it, can't describe it, almost like a subconscious awareness, that this is what life is all about. This is what we were created for, to explore and enjoy nature, or maybe it's just to be out in it, to be a part of it. Rustling in the trees drew my attention away from my thoughts as I looked for the big bird that had made the racket. Only the trees were still moving. A wild hog maybe? Then we spotted them. Monkeys! A whole troop of them! Big ones, baby ones, bright red butted ones; they left me speechless. Of all the things I expected to see out on the river, monkeys never crossed my mind. We sat and watched them jumping from tree to tree, grooming one another, wacking each other for climbing over one another. It was crazy. It was amazing. It was the pinnacle of our trip.

We paddled for 4 hours on that river. Basking and delighting in every wonder and work of art that caught our eye. Little Blue Herons, Great Blue Herons, Tricolored Herons, White Herons, I've never seen so many Herons! The alligators and turtles with their bright orange or bright yellow underbellies were awesome. And the jumping fish, 2 feet in front of my face coming straight at us, it was all...extraordinary. The entire trip was extraordinary! Thanks you Jesus for creating such beauty and splendor for us to enjoy. I am in awe.