Most mothers’ days we go kayaking at Merchant’s Mill Pond. It is a wonderful place to wander, calm water broken by great cypress trees and skims of duck weed. The frogs are wild and we usually see a whole collection of venomous snakes. Turtles sun themselves on logs or paddle through the water, sticking their heads out to examine our bright boats. It feels like something from some fantasy novel. Despite our many days spent there, though, we have never spotted the elusive alligator until this year.
We hadn’t seen any snakes, and were searching all of the little islands for one when my dad called out that he saw an alligator. We all crowded around, fascinated by this creature. He was perfectly calm, swimming with ease and mostly ignoring us. He dove once or twice, but would come up nearby and let us chase him some more. It was almost unreal.
simplyemmasthoughts 
An alligator in NC?!