Seen any alligators?

    I had a brief attack of common sense today, but it passed. It was getting far along in the afternoon of a conspicuously gorgeous day and I still hadn't taken my walk yet. Common sense said that it was too late to go strolling into the wilderness. Also it had rained a bit, so the wilderness was likely to be slippier than we normally like it to be. Thus, I was going to walk at the highly paved Canal Park rather than hit my beloved Congaree Creek Heritage Preserve. Then I remembered who I am, and made the turn for the wilderness instead.
    When I arrived, a fellow who didn't seem to have the greatest, uh, cognitive abilities asked if I'd ever seen any alligators there. (There are warning signs at the parking area to the effect that alligators are present.) I told him that friends of mine had seen one, but that I personally would much rather not. I told him that if he wanted to see any, his best bet was to turn right at the fork.
    I turned on the iPod and forgot about him. At the fork, I went left, heading for the pretty area rather than the get-eaten-by-alligators area. In the late afternoon, the Spanish moss was crazy beautiful. Next time, I'll be sure to bring a camera.
    On a curving part of the trail, I found that my new friend and number one fan was following me. Anyone who has ever been mugged does not like being followed, ever; anyway, I don't. In case he turned out not to be a benign presence, I showed him that weedy old blind guys can go very, very, very fast. I don't run, but I don't get tired, and I generally accelerate the farther I go, too.
    Eventually when I got to the alligatory part of the trail, where footing gets more dangerous, I slowed up and made sure he didn't fall or get lost. I also turned off the iPod since alligators have a VERY recognizable call and it's a good idea to be able to hear it just in case.
    He kept asking me how long the trail was. I forebore from mentioning that I didn't ask him to follow me and I had told him to go right instead of left. I just told him when we had gotten back to the easy (and guaranteed alligator-less) part and sped up again since the sun was sinking rapidly.
    As it's a yoyo trail (what I call a loop trail with a short connector to the parking lot), I hung back to make sure that he didn't go around the loop forever and ever, and also dawdled pulling out of the lot to make sure that he was coming back. I'm such a shitty social Darwinist!
    I know I should have been friendlier and more helpful, but at the same time people need to know their limitations. Neither did I volunteer to be a tour guide; I just wanted to take a walk, and was genuinely in a hurry due to the lateness of the hour. Anyway, it was a lovely walk and nobody got eaten by alligators. Unless a really wily one got him in the parking lot, and I can hardly be held responsible for that.