Chain Of Lakes - Winter Haven, Florida

One time when I was about 17, Eddie and I were boating in the chain of lakes in Winter Haven, FL. These same lakes were a part of the Cypress Gardens lakes. So we decided to water ski at one of the points in the lake. We were very good skiers at that point and we could start from deep water. I was down in the water with my water ski in place and getting the rope, which was attached to the boat, in just the right position. I was down to my nose in the water, in position to be pulled out of the water. I looked over to my right, and there a few feet from me were the eyes of an alligator right above the water looking right back at me. As if to say, 'Hello there'. I couldn't run and I couldn't swim, all I could do was to get Eddie's attention and get him to get the heck out of Dodge City. He pulled me out right beside the gator. I guess I was about to teach that gator to ski.

Alligator - Long Lake, Alturas, Florida

This is a tale of a alligator who almost got us in trouble. Daddy was always thinking of things to show us kids that would be fun, not necessarily safe. He took me and Linda in our small wooden boat with a small motor out in Long Lake to go around the edges and see if he could find a good spot to fish. Well, we were on the back side of the lake near the shore, and there swam a baby alligator. So Daddy thought it would be a brillant idea to put him in the boat so we could see him up close and personal. He warned us about his sharp teeth. "Now," Daddy said, "Keep your eyes out on the brushes over there because if the baby makes a grunting noise, the mother is going to come get him." Well, that baby gator was pretty wild in the boat. He wasn't happy. Then he did it, he starting the call for mama. In the distance, you could see the bushes start moving side to side and a parting of the seas, so to speak. Here comes Mama Gator in all her glory. Daddy knew we were in deep do-do. He had a little bit of trouble grabbing onto the baby to throw him overboard. Finally, he grabbed him and threw him at his Mama. We cranked that motor and hauled tail out of there. Our hearts just a pounding. He said, "Don't you dare tell Mother about this or I might not get to take you fishing anymore."