Diversity

Despite a rather single minded pursuit of the desert and its' accompanying land and river forms I am actually capable of attraction toward other geographical phenomena. I find the Everglades to be an outright assault on the senses; the briny smell of brackish water, orange from iron content, dripping perspiration from nearly liquid air, sounds of water plopping and rippling. Not from water movement since the Everglades is a giant shallow (not as giant as it used to be thank you very much Miami/Ft Lauderdale) river moving very, very slowly toward the Atlantic where it meets the tip of the florida peninsula. But plops from fish, turtles, wading birds (herons and egrets) dipping to spear fish and then the BIG plop flops. Alligator plops. I have seen countless alligators in Florida, literally hundreds in the Everglades and have been within just a couple of feet many times without much concern. In general, and for the most part, they are not an aggressive animal. Like most animals capable of doing man harm it is a disturbance of those things they hold dear that causes the problems. Fucking with their young, their food, invasion of personal space, etc. I leave em alone, make it a point not to annoy them or be disparaging in any way. Perhaps they sense my acceptance and lack of hostility. About once a year (recently on Sanibel Island a landscaper killed by a 12 foot gator) there is a report of an injury or death in Florida from an alligator. In fact there have been only 14 gator fatalities in Florida since such statistics began to be recorded. My guess is the early explorers suffered some losses though and fattened up more than a few gators. Encroachment upsets even the most harmless of animals and generally puts them in a foul disposition which of course tends to provoke attacks. Mountain lions in the West for example almost exclusively attack in locales recently developed. Habitat denied. Encroachment. Trespassing.
I found the following on a plate affixed to a boardwalk deep in the bowels of a tangle of mangroves in Everglades National Park. I can't recall who the author is but I'm sure it will come to me someday:

"Watching the fullness of prairies blooming, or watching the spring migration of birds, each of these is like developing a love affair, it gets better and better, each gets more intriguing, each is infinite in its possibilities for intimacy, affection and pleasure. The natural world has unlimited capacity to add to the breadth of human experience. You have an obligation to learn how to approach your primal lover."

I stumbled upon this plaque about a decade ago and I'm not so sure but what it didn't guide my life into a much needed turn in a better direction. My deeper appreciation of my primal lover certainly guided me toward where I am today and I love where I have ended up. "What a long strange trip it's been"...........if I may borrow the line from the greatest dance band of all time. And who is to stop me?

I really like the sea too.