Gator Time!

Derek "petting" the live gator!
Say "AHHHH"
Not even sure what to say about this photo....other than Derek sure knows how to pick a gator hunting outfit! Tapping the mouth closed10' of Gator Glory!!! :)

Ok, i must preface this post by saying that I personally don't consider myself to be a redneck, my husband however just might qualify......
For those of you who aren't familiar with the good ole Ross Barnett may not know that it is teaming with creatures...alligators to be exact. My husband's obsession with this started about 3 years ago. Every year in September the wildlife management people open up 2 weekends and allow "Steve Irwin wannabes" to go and shoot themselves a gator. What you probably don't know is in order to kill the gator you have to catch it first while it is STILL ALIVE! This obviously takes some skill and practice-not to mention lots of random "equipment" Two years ago Derek, his dad, brothers and some friends drew a "tag" to go on one of these weekend hunts-you have to be picked out of a lottery of sorts. Anyways, this led to them catching and killing their first alligator. It was like 10' long!!! My father in law still has its head in a freezer and we had "gator" meat for days...I personally never ate any, but if remember correctly my friend Catherine did!
After such beginners luck they have been mildly obsessed with this "sport-like" event. Well obviously I wasn't paying too much attention to the calendar last year when we got pregnant with Beckett and had a due date of the second weekend in September-right smack in the middle of gator season. When i found this out I was very relieved to know that Derek will be sitting that hunt out-i mean, he could never leave me 10 months pregnant and go gator hunting right? Well, wrong-sorta! Due to the nightmare we refer to around here as PUPPPs Beckett came a little early-the Tuesday before opening weekend of gator season. I got out of the hospital on Friday and we had the typical first night at home (i think, i don't really rememeber any of it). Well Saturday rolls around and Derek begins talking like he might try to make the hunt that night. I think in a drug induced stupor i just blew him off, until about 5pm that afternoon when i realized he was serious. To say world war 3 broke out might be an understatement. I was VERY postpartum and went crazy. Well, derek i think knew i would loose it so he lined up his mom to come sit with me that night (my mom had something going on). After some more pain meds, i broke down and let him go. He didn't get home until 2am! I think I won the wife of the year award that night. But my favorite memory of that years hunt was they didn't even get a gator afterall. Don't worry-i rubbed that in their faces for a good month! Looking back i know derek needed sometime out of the house seeing as though he had been in the hospital with me for 4 days, but i always bring this night up when we are taking with people about gator huntin!

Disclaimer: I am sure those of you with kids are saying "i can't believe he left her right after they got home from the hospital like that!" but please don't judge him based on that-he is a great husband and daddy, and we love him-gator hunter and all!

So, where am i going with all of this you ask........well, the reason i have all this time on my hands is because Derek is currently "up river" SCOUTING for gators. This is what they do on the weekends leading up to the hunt-they go look to see where the big ones are. If you are anything like me you are thinking-"just bc they are there now doesn't mean they will be there in 2 weeks does it?" And he quickly informed me that they stay put-it is like their house i guess

Disclaimer #2: When i was 8.5 months pregnant last year i joined derek on one of these "scouting" adventures---All i can say about that is BUGS EVERYWHERE, and i will NEVER EVER EVER put one toe in the reservoir again-nor will any of my children...I can't even begin to guess how many beady yellow eyes i saw starring back at us that night!

.....so next month on the Friday night before our sweet baby's 1st bday party my husband will be kicking off opening night of gator season in a 12' long john boat! I will let you know how this years hunt turns out, but in the meantime....here are some pictures of the whopper they caught that started this so-called frenzy!!