Don't feed the alligators and what's buzzin??????

First Digital Photography class was Monday night at Trident Tech. and I am SO excited.  The instructor is young (to me anyway) and hip and LOVES photography so much it oozes from his pores, I swear.  So... our first photography assignment is to capture "What tourists don't see"..... I had many thoughts but was drawn to go do some photo shooting in Moncks Corner, SC, since I now live in the country probably closer to it than any other town.  It reminds me of my hometown of Jefferson, Iowa, in some ways.  Smaller town but has local community pride... and it IS the county seat... just like Jefferson was/is.  My trek took me to a park called Old Santee Canal Park... think beautiful trees covered in spanish moss and still waters with bright green moss on the surface in many areas.  It has wooden walkways that lead you around and technically over the top of the swampy water areas.  Makes for some great photo opps., and I went there around 4 since our teacher said the best light is around 5... the park closed at five so I hopped to it.  Got some great shots, including one that said "Don't feed the alligators"... wait... back up... say WHAT???  Here I am traipsing around wooden trails built over the swamp all alone.. and had not told anyone I was going there... I hear a huge splash in the water to my right and my heart starts pounding.... yet... the photographer in me began an internal argument.."stay calm, they can't really climb up onto these wooden trails that easy and wouldn't it be cool to capture a picture of one up close and personal???" to which my more rational, sane side answered, "not so cool if the 'gator CAPTURES you!"  Then I remembered about a report on the news saying that around 5:00 is feeding time for gators and the photographer in me quickly got pushed aside!  I thought about my little blue Suzuki in the parking lot and how even my cell phone was back inside of it... the rangers would be closing the park and wonder why there was a car left with no one around..... my husband would get the call asking of my whereabouts... um...NO ... I haven't watched too many crime scene shows!!!!  So, I listened to the rational voice and packed it in and headed for home... but.. wait... just as I was driving through downtown Moncks Corner (a very short drive) I catch a quaint little park out of the corner of my eye... water fountain, bronze statues of children at play... okay... now I can work with this... no swamp, no croaking of gators. So I swing in and proceed to spend about an hour gleefully taking pictures. The most dangerous thing I saw there was a bumble bee and the only "sacrifice" was not of me to the gators but to the sun... I sweat buckets.... now THAT, I can live with. As they say, the proof is in the pictures (which I've posted)  I don't think Mutual of Omaha is going to be hiring me for any "wild kingdom" shoots (those of you under 40 may need to have that reference explained to you by an elder.)  So no gator "captures" and that is fine with me!