Panther Crossings and Alligator Ponds?

So, in trying to figure out what to name our little family blog, I thought of a number of different possibilities, but finally decided on this one.  Why?  Three reasons:

1.  I am my mother's daughter.  I have her sense of humor, which is kind of corny.

2.  We knew there were going to be some different wild animals around here, but we didn't expect this:

Photo courtesy of Aspen Whitson!

 

Turns out, the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge is a few miles from our apartment.  We drove down this road when we were returning our rental truck.  No panther sightings, though!

 

3.  We went for a walk one of the first days were were in Ave Maria, and found this sign around a lot of the ponds:

If you can't read it, it says "Preserved wetland systems and stormwater management lakes provide habitat suitable for alligators.  The feeding, harassing, or other disturbance of alligators is strictly forbidden."

We saw our first alligator yesterday!  We were beginning to think maybe we wouldn't actually see any, but when we were driving home we saw one swimming in the pond about a quarter of a mile from our house.  It was surreal, to say the least.  When Joseph and I went for a run this morning, we couldn't see it, which was a lot scarier than seeing it!