Some experiences need a child for full effect. The adult reality isn’t the same, but I remember being an oh-so-impressed 6-year-old, sitting down to high tea at the Empress Hotel in Victoria.
Some experiences are best appreciated by a first-timer of whatever age. Flying has staled with repetition, but I remember dressing up for my first flights as a teenager.
Some experiences are impressive precisely because *they* are the first-timer, redefining a genre. They look a little clunky now, but I remember being blown away as an adult by Star Wars and Batman for their special-effects wizardry and magical film editing, respectively.
And some experiences are endlessly satisfying, every re-visit offering a rediscovery and a reassurance of wonders that continue even when I’m not there. In that vein, here are a few shots from this year’s visit to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm.
A prehistoric gaggle
An impressive quintet
A watchable and watchful duo
A cooperative individual
A sweet couple
Looks like the park is still offering great photo ops.
Very nice catches
Jim R – Many thanks. I was hoping to see babies, but the closest I got was some baby-making activity. 🙂
We had one nest of very young baby great egrets, 3 baby black-crowned herons, 3 mallards ducklings and 2 less than week old sandhill cranes.
We were hoping for more too.
Great blues, roseates, wood storks all on nests
Jim R – Interesting. I think of a breeding season as fixed-by-date, but apparently that is not so. I’ve seen babies at the St. Augustine rookery just once, and I’m usually there at the same time.
You are a very accomplished photographer of wildlife, especially birds. Each of these photos is a “first time” for me. Thank you for the experiences I will never have.
Judith – Many thanks. Glad you like them.
Beautiful, beautiful photos. But WHY would anyone create an alligator farm??
Mary – Well, that’s a good question. It was established in 1893, presumably as an attraction for tourists visiting the USA’s oldest city. There’s a similar spot in Florida, near Orlando, so it’s not a one-off concept. (Where’s that shrugging emoji when you need it?)
Isabel
I love the pictures. It’s obvious this isn’t your first rodeo with the camera!
Tom
Tom – Many thanks.
The sweet couple armed “to the teeth” gives me great pause to imagine navigating any aspect of life with such a protuberance in the lower face. Why would I think it much easier to sprout wings like a pink angel to fly a-hunting? Your wonderful close-ups draw near these mysteries only to make them more intense.
Laurna – I bet that YouTube has videos of flocks of them in flight. I’ve seen it once, in Florida – a cloud of hot pink. Quite wonderful.
The watchful Dodo — !!! 😀
Barbara – Sometimes they just seem quizzical; sometimes, rather jaundiced in a “What? Are *you* still here?” sort of way.