If you don't want to see a beast, stop reading about 2/3 of the way down! lol
I know I've probably seen this butterfly before but I never got a good ID of it.
It's a Queen butterfly and was just gorgeous.
It was so orange, it was almost brick red.
And a few of the pretty birds we've seen this week...
Catbird
Prairie Warbler
Wren
So precious!
And now for the 'beast'! I know many of you think because I post a photo of an alligator, I like alligators. But not really. They are so primitive and scary to me. And as long as I am way up high on the bridge looking down at the Withlacoochee River, I don't mind seeing one.
Someone...NOT ME...wrote in chalk!
But there are 2 hanging out on the swamp side of the trail at Blue Run Park. And they are just about ruining my hiking experience. Everyone is talking about them.
This might be a Mama Gator and she is HUGE!
And then there's a baby, not real close to Mama but in the same swamp.
What bothered me most this past week was that the first time we walked by the big gator lounging in the swamp, we took a few pics and moved on. Then when we came back by, it wasn't there. So then I spent all of my time looking for it! It could be ANYWHERE!!!
And just as we were finishing up our hike, there was a trail of water across the trail where the baby had gone from the swamp side to the river side. Wish Mama Gator would cross over (when I'm NOT there) and stay in the river!
And my oh my but the Withlacoochee River was gorgeous!
Let me see if I can end this with a pretty flower!
