THIRTY MILES FROM MOBILE, ALABAMA

My blood raced through my veins when I took in the sights at the Slidell Elks campground. It was wild with smells of craw fish and muddy waters.

I ventured close to the banks of the pond until the swamp grass tickled my ears, or was it the mosquitoes? I heard the cranes cry in the distance and the fish jumping in the bayou and maybe even my cougar ancestors screaming over the rustling saw grass.  The Spanish moss teased me as it swung from the limbs of the oak. I believe my roots are here.

I sat by the pond and imagined living the life of the wild creatures of the islands, prowling, parting the grass in search of a morsel for dinner. In my mind I swatted big bugs, leaped up with the fish flying from the ripples of the river and pounced upon the unsuspecting birds tip-toeing among the reeds. And when I finished and my belly full, I stretched out in the warm sunshine and slept.

In deep slumber I heard the dried grass crunch, crunch, crunch. Swish, swish like a tail sliding along behind something big, moving, crawling, creeping, nearer and nearer.  “ALLIGATOR!”

My eyes popped open. Just a dream. Time to move on, leave them behind.   My fantasies stir me until my paws twitch. Sometimes scary,  they fill me with adventurous feelings that make my breath  quicken and  and my tail switch.

 

 

 Tika investigated the area making sure we missed nothing before we moved on. It was time to invent and create new dreams - Alabama dreams.

 

In Alabama the campground was carpeted with oak leaves I loved to chase when they fluttered in the wind. The days were warm with spurts of rain. I watched Judy decorate our home and me for Christmas.

Alabama is great but I worried tonight as I listened to the sky boom and the winds rock our home while Judy fretted in front of the TV.  She played with me but she was not in a playful mood and always kept her eye on the TV screen. She assured me if the storm became too severe we would seek shelter in the brick club house. I was worried because she was, so I played with her to distract her.

 

It is quiet now. No more pounding on the roof.We made it through the storm. Mobile, Alabama did not fare so well.