Critters in the Hood

I'm not sure if this little guy (geico/gecko) is a bug eater or insurance salesman but when I open the door he tries to run in the house. . . it makes me wonder. . .does he have a hot deal on life insurance to sell me?

I turned into our street this afternoon and braked for a turtle crossing the road. After carefully swerving around him, I raced home to get my camera, but by the time I returned, he was already happily swimming in the pond and out of camera range.

On the not-so-cute side: Mel and I had our first alligator sighting in the lake next to our walking path last week. He was a good nine foot gator cruising along about 20 feet offshore. One of the ladies I walk with told me her husband was canoeing and took 14 pictures of 14 different alligators in that lake one day. Hmmmm, I'm not too sure I'd be canoeing in THAT lake - in fact it makes me wonder if I want to canoe in ANY lake in SC. No snakes sightings yet, but I understand that every poisonous snake resides here. Hopefully they're more afraid of me than I am of them, but I doubt it!