Living in Ocean Isle Beach – Cameron Woods – 7 miles to the S.C. border –
the weather is what I like – yes – we have had that rare ice and snow –
but then you get days such as this where it is tee shirt – shorts and sandals!
That is when our resident pond Aligator comes out to the sun itself!
We have a walking trail around this pond and sometimes we see it and other times we do not.
We have seen tons of turtles in here – all types of birds hunting for fish and some have seen otters.
I think there are two gators in here and some babies although I have never seen the little ones or two gators at the same time.
And then it is but a short ten-minute drive to the beach – where the sound of the surf and warm sand entice you to bring a chair and just sit in the warm sunshine!
Tee shirt – shorts and no shoes – toes in the sand – livinglifedoingitmyway.blog
They are on the banks in the sun – when it gets colder – they do not move much.
We always are on the lookout for Gators and Snakes – I have not seen any snakes so far – but they are around.
Now – Oyster Bay – Sunset Beach – N.C. is one fine golf course – love playing here – and people live along the fairways and ponds – 14 – 15 and 16 are full of gators!
Sherry in the cart and behind her to the left while we wait for the fairway to clear – GATORS – four of them!
Needless to say – you do not wander around – we do not get close – and they seem to just stay there. Hundreds of golfers play this course and do not go to the water to find your ball – same for high grass and weeds!
Other wildlife and birds – a beautiful setting – and across the road is the ICW!
Sherry on the cart path between two lakes – and yes there are gators in there!
Now – if you ever get the chance – make a tee time here – it is beautiful – a challenge for golf – tough holes -located by Sunset Beach – N.C. OYSTER BAY GOLF COURSE!
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The tee box for across the pond and up the hill to the green!
And this is just the back nine!
PAPA’S WORLD – OYSTER BAY GOLF COURSE – SUNSET BEACH, N.C.
Cindy and Sherry – one will walk and then change up for the other to drive.
We started off in the rain – but the forecast said it would move on out –
and the sun and warmth would be there!
AND THAT IS JUST WHAT IT DID!
One of the views – we had to cross over here – but it was not a busy road.
Are there Gators here? YES THERE ARE!
Sherry Buck Cindy about to putt!
We played well – Buck and I – enough so that they beat us by one stroke the first nine and we won by three stokes the back nine. Do not be fooled by how close they made it – they are always right down the middle and second shot is either on the green or close to it! They are good when in a scramble!
We bought what is called the first tee card – we all have them and it allows us to play over 32 courses
at reduced rates – all are on the N.C. side of the border – and our new house is right in the middle!
Sherry going for the green on a par three over the marsh.
Cindy going for the green over the marsh.
I did not like this tee box as it was like a practice mat.
The only part of the whole course that they did this on.
You could not put a tee in – only if you found a seam.
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It was a fun day – and because it was cart path only –
it took us five hours to play and we did not finish up until 6:00 PM.
But – we finally beat them on the back nine by three strokes and it was hard doing that!
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SHERRY: Works for The Juice Plus Company as a SENIOR SALES COORDINATOR HOME BASED BUSINESS
each Winter – before they relocate to another one!
Sherry and Paul it wasn’t until we were half way back to Winter Haven that I realized I had not taken a picture of Janet or the four of us! OLD AGE HAS IT’S DRAW BACKS!
We spent hours talking at their fifth wheel camper
34 feet long and really nice
with a large awning and a comfortable seating
beneath the large old Oak trees!
They then took us on a tour of Winter Garden
a new upscale section of stores – shops
and places to eat!
It was here that I saw the beauty
Lake Apopka – a very large lake perserve
for hundreds of birds – and a nursery for baby gators!
Small gators do not know where the mother gator was!Big birds small birds ducks and turtles abound
The birds were loud – almost to the point it was hard to listen
to each other talk
but I loved it!
The beauty of the foliage and this was full of birds and ducks!Looking for gators and we found three!It is in these reeds where the gators reside small ones that we could seeA view of the water front and a trail that follows the shore!
To a state park where there was a almost three mile
nature walking path –
Named Panther Paw point park –
because they spotted a panther there
sometime in the past!
” LIONS – TIGERS and BEARS OH MY” !
The loop ran trough the woods and then around this lake and the trail around the lake in some spots got very narrow with brush and reeds on either side!We read this before starting out and notice the pictures of all we might observe while walking we did see a lot of areas dug up like giant moles had been there my thought “WILD BOARS”!Here is a picture map of the several loops you can make This also is a place where people come to ride horses there were a half dozen horse trailers in the lot!Debbie and Tom the path leading into the woodsAs you can see stay on the path its a jungle out there!After walking through the woods you break out and start following the lakeThe first GATOR we saw just over the bank and right near the water I would estimate 15 to 20 feet from me! He was big – but not as big as the next one we saw still I was nervous standing there!Just down from the gator about 30 feet away that gator would of been one half the distance
The path itself was 10 to 12 feet wide
with the lake and reeds and bushes and trees on one side
the other side sometimes a fence with pasture
other times just marsh and a lot of bushes
I keep my eyes on the lake side!
And I never saw the gators until I was maybe 25 feet away!
Now- I never saw this fellow Sherry was following and she said here is a snake I had walked right by it! It was maybe 6 to 8 feet away She saw it – it raised up and she backed away and then she took this picture when I went back it was slithering away I told her it looked like a black snake but still I never saw it! I would say it was 4 or 5 feet long!Avery big hawk sitting on a gate this was pasture land on the right side away from the lake however there were sections that you could not see through and the path narrowed down to maybe 6 or 7 feet wide making me very nervous!This guy was huge! I would say 10 to 12 feet long those are the hind legs and the tail was maybe another four foot long He was really big around and almost black! This one was maybe 15 feet over the side of the bank – out of the water and in the bushes and reeds there was a trail down to him and I assume that is where he went back and forth!
This gator was really big – never moved – I learned later
at that time of day – they are not that active – plus the water
is only around 60 degrees –
They are night hunters and during the day -they warm up in the sun
and heat of the day and digest their food
from the night before!
This one was maybe 200 yards from the other one
which makes me think this was his territory!
It was a beautiful walk nervous at times hot in the sun a half dozen horse riders passed us I WOULD NOT WALK THIS AT TWILIGHT!The birds and ducks huddle together in the middle of the lake we have been told several times that gators do not attack in deep water That is why people swim in the middle of the lakes and water skiers are in the water in these lakes BUT I DO NOT TRUST THAT! That’s like telling me BEARS don’t bite in the woods! LOL
I hope you liked this little adventure It was a spur of the moment lark that we went on! SAW TWO GATORS AND A BLACK SNAKE! along with birds horses – riders – and where Wild boars ( pigs) dug up the ground or some very GIANT MOLES!
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PAPA – livinglifedoingitmyway.blog WHERE FRIENDS MEET THE FAMILY ! THANK YOU!
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