AUGUST MOON 2013 (Day #3): Grateful for the restorative powers of nature, a good husband, and alligators

ST CATHERINE'S ISLAND, GEORGIA, USA.  Because we are a part of NATURE, experiencing ourselves in a natural setting restores our sense of self, the part that I call SOUL. St. Catherine's is one of the many beautiful barrier islands along the coast of Georgia that is burgeoning with LIFE. (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

Hallelujah for the restorative powers of NATURE and for being able to experience it on a privately-owned island along the Georgia coast during the full August moon. Hallelujah for St. Catherine's Island! Hallelujah for the FULL MOON!

AUGUST MOON 2013, ST. CATHERINE'S ISLAND (photo by Tony Martin)

The August Moon '13 Day #3 writing prompt from Kat and Meredith is to express GRATITUDE. While my rich life has many aspects to appreciate, for now, I have chosen to write about how I had the good fortune to find my match in marriage, a marriage which takes me around the moon and back and most recently we to the Georgia coast during the full August moon.

GRATEFUL FOR A NATURE LOVING SPOUSE 
If you have visited my blog Coffee With Hallelujah before, you know that I am married to a well-rounded, fun-loving, articulate scientist, Tony Martin, whose academic and personal interests take us both to the Georgia coast to explore the tracks, trails, feces, and burrows of its abundant wildlife (visit the blog he writes about the Georgia coast). Tony becomes exuberant when he is following tracks of shore birds along the ocean front or those of an alligator in the maritime forest. I do too!

I am immensely grateful for Tony's sense of adventure as well as his education and intuition that engages us in looking for alligators and understanding their behaviors!

LOOKING FOR ALLIGATORS. While we were at this fresh water pond on St. Catherine's, we did not see one alligator, only "sign" or evidence of them, such as pathways through grass and entry ways into the water. (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

FINDING AN ALLIGATOR WALKING IN THE WOODS. When leaving the freshwater pond, already aboard our vehicle, we spotted this young alligator talking a walk through the woods! Yes, alligators go on walk-abouts, but this one stopped and refused to move while we were there. (photo by Tony Martin)

TRACKING ALLIGATOR.  Earlier, near the same pond pictured above, Tony and I had stopped our vehicle  and gotten out to follow the alligator tail drag mark you see Tony pointing at. We wanted to "find" the track maker. However, we had no luck. We believe the alligator pictured above is not the one who made this long sinuous pattern in the orange Georgia soil even though it was just on the other side of the pond. (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

MEETING AN ALLIGATOR ALONG ANOTHER TRAIL. When we were least expecting to see an alligator is when we bumped into one. Heading down a trail to the beach, Tony almost stumbled on this beauty (directly in front of him), who hissed twice to alert him of her presence. (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

So why am I grateful for these alligator encounters along the coast of Georgia with my husband Tony? I'm smiling as I write this blog entry and insert these photos! What good fun I am having in the prime of my life, this transition of summer to fall! Love restores me, and NATURE heals me! Adventures wake me up and make me strong! Hallelujah!

That's Coffee with Hallelujah! SOUL BLOG with me and tell me what you are grateful for and what is making you smile!