Alligators Might Be Present

I've mentioned before that they have a sign on the river at the Wauchula TT where we are at, that says this:
Now this sign has always been comical to me, because living in Florida and spending some time on the Peace River, I tend to think of it more as a "Alligators will most likely be present" possibility than a "may be present" thing.

However, they are normally banked at the other side of the river when we visit down here. Notice the end alligator who is resting his head on a turtle in this shot:
Today while walking sweet Ace, we were able to see one on "our side" of the river. What a treat! Notice Ace, staring hard at this new creature:and then at me as if to say, what is THAT thing?????That, Ace, is one creature that we leave alone no matter what he is doing. Lucky for us, he is more than happy to leave us alone too. It is an awesome thing to be this close to one, and even though we are used to them and no longer scared, we have a healthy respect to be sure.