On Saturday, April 15, 2023, after helping the UGA Coastal Ecology Lab with some alligator capture-tag-and release, my daughter and I paddled from the Sill Recreation Area westward against the current, up the Suwannee River. 

Have you ever read a swamp? Urbanites like me may have read much about the swamp, but don't have the gift that the Swampers have in reading the details of the Okefenokee. According to the great naturalist Francis Harper - no doubt wisdom he gained from the Okefenokee Swampers -  when "a boat or a bear passes over a watery Prairie, the bonnet leaves in the trail remain upturned on one side for several hours afterward. The upturned side of the leaf indicates the direction from which the boat or animal has come."  

Thankfully, a rescheduled spring trip to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge! My daughter wasn't able to go for our usual March paddle this year during her spring break. But her class schedule allowed us to sneak in a long weekend in April instead.

​We arrived at the Stephen C Foster State Park campground late in the evening on April 14 and did a little bit of cruising. I found my second Timber Rattlesnake within the refuge boundaries, but unfortunately it had recently been hit by a car (and was still barely writhing). After sunset, I was able to photograph my first Chuck-wills-widow as several kept landing in the roadway while we were cruising for herps. 

It takes a team to wrangle a gator! On April 14, 2023, I was excited to be invited to photograph an American Alligator capture-tag-release outing with the UGA Coastal Ecology Lab. When my daughter and I arrived, the action was already in full swing and a gator was being hauled up on the bank for measuring.

The team leader, Mark Hoog, uses some heavy-duty fishing tackle to snag the alligator and haul it in for the research team to tag. Having watched a few rounds, most of the alligators were less than willing to participate and gave Hoog quite a workout! As the gator tires and is reeled closer to shore, two researchers stand by with a snare pole and rope to make the final haul-in.

Once upon the shore, one of the team sneaks up behind the gators and quickly lands upon its neck and presses the mouth shut. Almost immediately, the other team members take a pre-determined seat along the alligator’s length. Right away, the mouth is safely taped shut and the alligator’s legs are lifted off the ground to prevent it from rolling. Thankfully, most of the gators are fairly tired from fighting in the water that too much resistance isn’t encountered.
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Once safely restrained, team members measure each alligator’s length and girth in several different areas. A plastic cattle tag is attached to the tail and a labelling code is cut into the scales along the tail. On some occasions, blood is drawn for genetic studies and GPS trackers are attached to the alligators’ backs. Once all the data is carefully recorded, the gators are safely released back into the water.  ​

​During my spring 2023 Okefenokee trip, I had the pleasure of being invited to photograph the UGA Coastal Ecology Lab as they captured, tagged and released alligators along the Suwannee River Sill in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. Each gator captured is measured multiple ways, blood is drawn for genetic studies, and each is tagged. In case the numbered tag falls out over time, a system of identification is also used by cutting off scales from the tail. 

"Vandy" was a sweet spayed and microchipped Pitbull mix girl that came into the animal shelter as a stray on January 12, 2023. The shelter staff tried contacting her owner but nobody ever came for her. Vandy and I had her outdoor pet adoption photograph session on January 18, 2022 and she was rescued on February 1, 2023!

"Ava" was a happy pitbull mix girl that was picked up stray and brought to the shelter by an animal control officer. We had an outdoor pet adoption photography session together on January 18, 2022 and her cute face was put out all over the internet adoption sites. She was adopted into a new, loving home on January 23, 2023!

"Hermey" was a cute young Pitbull Terrier and Labrador mix dog that came into the animal shelter as a stray. We had a pet adoption photography session on December 21, 2022 and he was adopted into a new home on January 12, 2023!

"Gabriel" was a funny young Blue Pitbull Terrier dog that was surrendered to the animal shelter by his owner. We did his adoption photography session on December 8, 2022. He was finally rescued from the shelter one month later on December 9, 2023!

"Chase" was a cute young Pitbull Terrier dog that was surrendered to the animal shelter by his owner on December 8, 2022. A couple weeks passed and he didn't get any adoption applications. So we went outside together for a romp and an adoption photography session on December 21, 2022. He was rescued on January 9, 2023!

"Aurora" was a sweet Shar Pei and Pitbull mixed dog that was surrendered to the animal shelter by her owner. She was such a happy girl when we had an outdoor pet adoption photo session on December 21, 2022. It took a little bit for her to get noticed, but she was finally rescued on January 6, 2023!

"Crystal" was a young Pitbull Terrier mixed dog that was surrendered to the animal shelter by her owner. We had an outdoor pet adoption photo session on December 21, 2022 and she was finally rescued on January 6, 2023!

"Yeti" was a gorgeous blue American Pitbull Terrier picked up by an animal control officer on December 4, 2022. We had an outdoor pet adoption photography session on December 8. His owner never came to claim him but he was finally rescued nearly a month later, on January 3, 2023!

"Frost" was a young male blue Pitbull Terrier mix dog that came into the animal shelter after his owner abandoned him at their apartment. I had an adoption photo session with Frost on December 8 and he was finally adopted into a new home on December 27, 2022!

​Even though the cheerful holiday season is here, there are still many that will have a Blue Christmas. Some of those that won’t sing I’ll Be Home for Christmas are the many dogs in our nation’s animal shelters. I have worked in animal welfare for more than two decades now, and I know that the surrender of pets doesn’t stop just because of the holidays.

So why not make it a Blue Christmas - a Blue Pitbull Christmas! It seems there is always a blue Pitbull or two in the shelter where I do the adoption photography. Blue American Pitbull Terriers are a very popular breed and color, so unfortunately people breed too many of them in order to sell them. Sadly, many end up in shelters once they get past that adorable puppy stage.

Pitbull Terriers are very smart dogs and they can be easily and quickly trained. Their muscular build makes them great for people that love outdoor activities such as hiking or running. And the blue Pitbulls are so gorgeous with their sleek, steel-colored coats, they’ll always turn heads. And if you live alone, you’ll have a much greater sense of security having a dog share the house with you!
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So if you’ll be home for the holidays, why not bring a Blue Pitbull home for the holidays too? I’m sure you have an animal shelter or humane society in your city. And chances are that there’s a pitbull or two waiting there to be adopted – maybe even a gorgeous blue one! So make this a Blue Christmas and adopt a blue American Pitbull Terrier!