Gator Hole

Back when the kids were young, we’d head out to the reservoir at Maynard Park and take the pontoon boat for a spin. They’d all sit in a row, legs dangling off the front of the boat without a care in the world. There was one spot we always made our way to—we called it the gator hole. You could spot a dozen or more gators at once, from babies to adolescents to big mama gators. But the moment we reached the mouth of that gator hole, like clockwork, the kids would start pulling their legs back up into the boat—and just like that, the front of the boat would be empty. It always gave us a good laugh, and it’s still one of my favorite memories.