Max Is Not Gator Food

Scene from a movie?


Midwest plains? Nope...the Everglades! More specific, Shark Valley! I am not sure why it has this name because sharks had nothing to do with the animals we were seeking out last Saturday. I am also not sure why I just used so many exclamation marks!


We were definitely on the search for wildlife...like birds.


Birds...


More birds...


And yet even more birds!


Yes, we were also on the lookout for turtles swimming in the water everywhere we turned.


But we were searching for something else, and we would need the sharp-shooter eyes of Judes to find it. Only she had the skills to see what we could not see at first glance.


Yes, we were searching for gators. And Judes kept finding them. Can you see the gator above?


It was a pretty cold day in Florida, something like 50 degrees...so the gators weren't basking in any sun. But we still found em!


Max had a great time with the wildlife - he was especially interested in the birds. He could just sit and stare at them all day. When we would walk away he would start yelling and reaching to go back to the bird.


Mesmerized.


While the gators were not abundant the day we went, it made finding them all the more exciting. Every time Judes would spot one the Japanese tourists would come biking over at amazing speeds to snap pictures.


Bird in flight. The books are right, this is not easy to accomplish.


For those of you who have never been to the Everglades, you should go. I think the landscape is diverse and beautiful. It really served well as a backdrop for this picture of me, Caitlin and Sling Dion.


It was a pretty cold and windy walk back to the car. Max was fine, he just kept his eye on the birds and a Nilla Wafer in his mouth at all times. Should I be worried that Nillas represent 72% of his diet? The doctor says no.


Back at the parking lot we gave Max a solid half our to just crawl around and play. He had an hour plus car ride home ahead of him. He got himself some milk (anyone who knows Max knows how amazing it is that he is drinking something that isn't in a boob).


He crawled over people, a favorite pass time.


He played with his ladybug bean bags and flirted with old people at the National Park.


And he generally just enjoyed the freak out of himself. He's so coot.

On our drive back we stopped for Yogurtland and Thai food! We finally found a decent Thai place in South Florida. Yes, it felt good to be out and about enjoying the great outdoors again after our more indoorsy two weeks of recovery. Judes made it better with good conversation about music and making dreams come true.