Munchies

Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009 - 12:33 a.m.

Yesterday night, dinner was good.

I made cheese garlic biscuits to go with the rest of the meal. We LOVE those.

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For the first time since Sunday, I hooked up the bass and played the set list.

I am still fading out and having difficulty with some portions of a couple of songs. But I think this will resolve itself with time and practice.

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This story caught my attention over on FARK:

A large alligator killed an 80-pound Dalmatian on Saturday after biting off a leg while the dog was illegally off its leash and drinking from the lake at Jacksonville�s Hanna Park.

A 10-foot alligator was trapped and killed several hours after the 10:30 a.m. attack in the city park off Mayport Road. Authorities said they are uncertain if the trapped alligator was the culprit since another large one was spotted in the same lake.

The alligator lunged and bit the dog�s right leg off at the shoulder as it drank at the edge of the lake, a city report said. A second Dalmatian escaped unharmed.

The dog�s owner, physician Charles Rust, tried to wrestle his dog away and the dog bit him in the hand, the report said. The dog somehow got away and ran off. It was found and taken to a veterinarian�s office, where it died.

Park manager Ken Burke said Rust had been repeatedly warned about allowing his dogs to run free and go in the lake � violations of the park�s rules.

�It�s really being irresponsible to your pet,� Burke said.

Rust acknowledged having been previously warned by park officials. But he said he simply let the dogs off their leashes to get a drink of water before the attack and didn�t expect the worst.

The park is a popular recreation facility near Mayport Naval Station. Burke and his boss, division chief Nathan Rezeau, said there are signs warning people to keep their dogs on leashes, not to feed alligators and not to swim in the lake.

�We�re constantly telling people to keep their dogs and kids away� from the lake�s edge, Burke said. In a separate interview, Rezeau said �most people are compliant� with the rules.

The lake, overseen by the conservation commission, is a natural habitat where alligators, snakes and other wildlife live. There is a concession area where people can rent paddle boats to ride on the lake, but they are warned to keep inside, Burke said.

Rezeau said authorities do not intend to cite Rust for having his dogs off their leashes, which is a violation of the municipal code.

�I think he�s probably gone through enough,� Rezeau said.

Rust said that he knew his dogs were supposed to be leashed but wasn�t worried. He said he never recalled seeing an alligator in the lake in the 10 years he�s been visiting the park, while he�s spotted plenty of people fishing and standing in water.

Rust said if there was a danger from alligators, he would have expected park officials to periodically clear the lake of them.

�Why do we have alligators in a public lake where people are fishing and paddle-boarding?� he said.

Right. It's everybody else's fault that this dog was off a leash and acting like a snack.

Here's a clue. If there's a puddle of water of any size, and you live in Florida? Chances are an alligator of some size will be in it at some point.

I mean I'm sorry and all, but wow.

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All right, that's it. Have a good Thursday.

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