I’d have been disappointed if we didn’t encounter an alligator. After all, why take a canoe out into a swamp if not to meet its residents? Sure, the otherworldliness of paddling around giant cypress trees growing out of mirror silver water on a crystal clear day was certainly enough to make the excursion worthwhile. But the far-and-away highlight was spotting a partially submerged alligator just twenty feet off our port side.
He didn’t seem to mind us being there. He just sat, perfectly still, with his reptilian eyes hovering slightly above the water, possibly sizing us up. This wasn’t a zoo experience. We were inside the cage. We watched each other for a long while until we decided to make the first move. With a couple of paddle strokes we started to silently glide past our host, watching as he also slowly started off in the opposite direction, apparently deciding we weren’t worth the trouble.
(the full-sized picture is better, so click on me)
Everywhere Once 
Love those Carolina swamps…
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