The Gator Farm

On our most recent visit to East Texas where my dad lives, we went to a Gator Farm. It is basically a zoo whose main feature is alligators. I really didn't know that alligators could get so big. The Gator Guy who runs the farm told us that it isn't a very good idea to swim in lakes and other bodies of water in the surrounding Canton area since all the alligators on his farm came from a 50 mile radius. So, pay attention next time you go swimming in an East Texas lake/pond.

The gator in the middle is eating a piece of chicken. He was faster than the one on the left. You can see the one on the left with his mouth open and angled to the side.

This alligator hopped up on that little fence. I'm pretty sure it could have jumped right over it if it wanted to. He was really looking forward to that cut up chicken meat.

Some kind of lizard I thought would make a good picture.

They found a dead mamma opossum and when they looked in her pouch they found 5 babies still alive. They took out the babies and bottle fed them. That was the first time I've ever seen a opossum and thought it was cute.

Ewan was a little nervous but he held one for a few seconds. He got jumpy and almost dropped it when he felt the little guy's claws.

Isaac petting a little goat.

I thought this was a good picture of Jon.

Me and my dad.

Isaac trying out the rope swing.

Ewan trying out the rope swing.

It didn't really hit me that we are moving so far away until we were leaving my dad's house. I got a little emotional. It felt like it sort of came out of nowhere. Perhaps because this has felt like the longest moving process EVER it has been easy to neglect some of the emotional realities about moving. It suddenly occured to me, "what if while we are gone something happens to my dad?" "what if I have to fly home suddenly because he has some health issues?" I am glad for the time we were able to spend with my dad and his wife before we leave--it was a sweet time together. We spent a lot of time fishing, four wheeling, and driving the golf cart. The boys enjoy going there (and so do I).