Hello, Bacon Readers! The Bacon “Top 10 Summer Reads” post is in the works – coming June 14th. In the meanwhile, I’m dreaming of the beach and thinking of one of my adventures with Pepper over Spring Break…

There’s nothing like a trip to the beach to lift your spirits. The sun! The surf! Even the rain’s not so bad. Life hums and thrums while laundry and chores recede to some other, distant shore. Still – danger is never far away.

Pepper and I were walking in the neighborhood of our cottage rental when a sign warned us: “Caution: No Swimming, Snakes & Alligators May Be Present in Lake.”

Pepper was not deterred. She darted up to the water’s edge, straining on her leash. 

I, on the other hand, was greatly deterred. “Alligators, Pep,” I said, awed and concerned. “We don’t want to become a statistic – or a snack,” I said, pulling her back.

We continued our lakeside walk, observing a variety of coastal plants and birds. A great white heron took its chances at the shore while cormorants perched blackly above, hanging their wings out to dry. Palmettos screamed their silent spiky truths. A bald eagle cast a cold eye on us while I kept my guard up in case of any passing alligators. I was on edge. 

We made it back to the cottage without loss of life or limb, and Pep flopped on the back porch.

I got out a book, put up my feet, and gradually relaxed.

“Did it help?” she asked.

“What?” I replied.

“Worrying about the alligators.”

“Not really,” I had to admit.

“What if we had encountered an alligator?” she asked.

I considered.

”I’ll tell you exactly what would have happened,” she said, before I could answer. “You would have put up a Fucking Good Fight, and I would have too. I put my money on us, in extremis.”

“Pep!” I exclaimed. “Language!”

I poured myself a drink and petted my dog and exulted. Yes – I would have, I thought. I would have put up a very good fight against an unexpected alligator. Perhaps worrying about an alligator that may or may not show up isn’t the best use of time.

Unlike – for instance – a nap in the sun.

 

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Embrace your strength, Bacon friends.

Need some inspiration? Check out the “Jessica Jones” series on Netflix. Perfect summer fare. Strength and vulnerability go hand in hand. Especially when you’re a badass comic book hero fighting an archvillain.

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