to view pictures go to my shutterfly site (below), click the pictures section at top, double click the Kiawah album, play slideshow
http://mickeypattytravel.shutterfly.com

WOW! Great photos Mickey! Thanks for sharing. I especially liked the wildlife photos including my favorites "THE GATORS!"

Mr. Bill
The gators get 5-6 dogs each year that are being walked to close to the marsh by their owner. Kiawah is so full of wildlife and great for taking pictures
Mickeyww

Those "dog gone" gators. Have you heard anything about them eating leprechauns wearing bow-ties?

About 3 years ago,but not sure what type of tie he had on.

Hey Mickeyww, those definitely are gators. How close is walking to close to the marsh? My three cocker spaniels are very special to me.

Your pictures are wonderful!!!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: nursejudy,

Thanks Mickey! Great photos. And the gators are bigger then I thought.

Mr. Bill better buy himself a pair of stilts to stay far enough away.

Good idea Vinnie and I think Mr. Bill better keep his Shillelagh handy to whop them over the head.

I am thinking I will need to enclose an area near the house so when Buffy, Toby, and Shiloh need to go outside I can keep them safe.

Does anyone no, if gators are more prevelent certain times of the year, day/night? Many retiles hybernate or their metabilisms slow down during cooler seasons as is the case with my tortoises and turtles.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: nursejudy,

Gators are around all year on the island. The big one in my pictures is "sunning" himself and as you can see the dirt has been worn away from frequent use. Gators can run in short burst so 10-15 feet from the water edge is my recommendation. There are warning signs around all the marsh areas reminding you not to get to close. The pictures with the baby on the mothers back was shot on a bridge into Nught Heron park right next to the swimming pool area.

Great pics Mickey...sure answers all of our gator questions. I'm sure that big boy can reach the door bell!

I just spent time looking at your Africa photos Mickey, they are spectacular!

Folks, check out Mickey's Africa adventure photos, I guarantee you will be mesmerized.

Mickeyww,

I love the pictures, thanks for posting the link. I really had not thought about Gators being there, WOW. I spend a lot of time at North Myrtle Beach and Ocean Drive and I only occasionally see one or two Gators behind a fenced area behind a few restaurants. I guess I'll have to Pack some Heat when I am napping downstairs on the hanging daybeds...........

Phil #33

Thank you Mikey I was trying to find on google earth. Karen

Mickey, your photos have definitively answered the question: Are there alligators on Kiawah Island? The one with the baby on her back is adorable! However... it was taken on a bridge that's next to the swimming pool area? Ruh-roh.

Phil33
Should not have a problem on the daybed unless you toss your chicken wing bones next to you while enjoying a Super Bowl and even then Kiawah is a wildlife sancutuary and you can't shoot a gun on the island

Mickeyww

Mickeyww, I was looking at the photos just off the back deck and at high tide, that water appeared closer than 10 or 15 feet from the lower patio. Does that mean we should put in a fence right about where the trees are (one that does not block the view so I can enjoy the patio and grill, my grands would be safe and my canine friends can enjoy part of the yard?

A positve wouold be that it was said one might see dolphen and assorted birds in the marsh area.

I can picture us all having a super bowl party today in the play room. Chips, 9 layer dip, and pizza for all. Now being from California San francisco better pick it up a notch as Jones from Baltimore just intercepted and made another touchdown.

Happy dreaming friends!

Nursejudy
The water you see behind the dream home is a large lagoon about a mile long and high tide and low tide causes the water lever to go up and down. It is called a brackish (part salt, part fresh) and the gators have a really large area to roam. The island is about 20 miles long and many, many lagoons for them to live. Very unlikely one would show up in the back yard. You're more likely to see one of the Bob Cats or deer that live on the island.

Mickeyww

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mickeyww,

You are such a good photographer!!! Sure wish I had that skill! Thanks so much for sharing! Never have seen a gator outside of a zoo, so has me a bit freaked out!

Thank you for the updated information on the lagoon behind the dreamhome. I read somewhere it backs to a river as well.

Fence won't keep out a bobcat.

Mickeyww thanks so much for the great photos!

I can't say I'm really looking forward to those gators when I win the DH though! Bobcats too! AAHHH!

They are great pictures

quote:

Originally posted by Mickeyww:
to view pictures go to my shutterfly site (below), click the pictures section at top, double click the Kiawah album, play slideshow
http://mickeypattytravel.shutterfly.com

Amazing photos! Thanks for sharing the beautiful surrounds and wildlife. (Love the Africa photos,too!)

great pictures! Remind me of great pictures we would get from one of our favorites, our wonderful Brad. Hello nurse Judy, and Mr.Bill. So glad to see you guys are still here.I really think this is a beautiful beautiful dream home but I'm so afraid being that I have 2 small dogs. Snakes and alligators are just not really working for me lol.

Are the residents allowed to build a fence?

I hope you can sausykittydld, becauseI would need one as well.

quote:

Originally posted by Saucykittydld:
Are the residents allowed to build a fence?

We'd need to see a copy of the CC&Rs to find out. Most HOAs are kinda sticky about stuff like that.

I do not actually know the rules on having a fence, but there are hundreds of home sites and I don't ever remembering seeing a fence. The gators are just not that much of a problem that everyone is trying to make it out to be. All the home sites around the lagoon behind the DH does not have a fence. If you look at my pictures the first picture is a house across the lagoon and it does not have a fence.

Awesome pictures. Gator food...Thank goodness my cats never go outside (except one lives in our garage) but my dog uses our fenced backyard daily. Guess you just gladly learn to adjust when you win a Dream Home and are on your way to new adventures.

My concern is a place for my dogs, although they are the indoor variety, thye do like some outside time. Maybe one of those invisible fenses?

Nursejudy
Could you explain how you plan getting one of those collars that the invisible fence uses on a gator. Haha

quote:

Originally posted by Mickeyww:
Nursejudy
Could you explain how you plan getting one of those collars that the invisible fence uses on a gator. Haha

Simple, all nursejudy has do is flip the gator over and rub it's belly for a minute or two. This will put it in a trance and that will give me enough time to run up and slip the collar on it.

WOW!!! Mickeyww, beautiful pics Been told the skeeters are about the size of that cute baby gator.....yikes!

I was thinking of putting them on my dogs if you are not allowed to put up a fence at the Dreamhome.

Good laugh though, I am picturing Bill and I doing the rub the belly, pop on the collar.

Hello Kitty! Yes Brad posted some awsome photo's. He will indeed be missed by many here on the DH message board.

We are really misssing Brads beautiful photos. He brought us so much enjoyment over the years.

That he did.

quote:

Originally posted by Mr.Bill:
Hello Kitty! Yes Brad posted some awsome photo's. He will indeed be missed by many here on the DH message board.

Brad's posts were like being in the Temperate Zone. They were always a welcome treat.

((( Brad )))

He was such a part of our board.