If there is anything the recent ice storm has taught us, it is how helpless we can be when confronted with the forces of nature. And while there is much to be said for the traditional weaponry when plotting a murder, I find myself drawn to the natural world to do my dirty work.
In my novel, Tooth and Claw, Nola Jensen, an attractive wealthy woman with a past and some strange predilections, travels to New Orleans for a business conference. There her past catches up with her. What should have been a peaceful and enjoyable cruise on the Louisiana bayous turns into her worst nightmare, when she is pushed overboard and into the jaws of a very hungry alligator.
Although I have vacationed in New Orleans, one of my favourite cities, and have in fact, enjoyed a bayou cruise, I was not that familiar with alligators, so some research was necessary. While visiting my friends Janice and Larry Hatt at their West Palm Beach condo, I prevailed upon them to take me to see alligators. We went to a place in the Everglades called Shark Valley. Why it is named Shark Valley is a mystery to me since it is not a valley and there was a noticeable absence of anything resembling sharks. But there were alligators galore, and after, wandering off on a trail during a break in the tour and nearly stepping upon one – fortunately for me fast asleep – I wisely stayed in the tram for the duration of the outing.
Alligators continue to fascinate me, albeit from a safe distance. Genetically, they are linked to dinosaurs and have been around for some 230 million years, without evolving much. And while human beings are not part of their usual diet, they are considered opportunistic feeders, which means they will eat anything that comes their way. In 1995, a nuisance alligator was killed. The ‘gator, estimated to be about 50 years old, had seven dog collars in its stomach, one from a dog that had been missing for 14 years.
The jaws of the American alligator can exert 3000 pounds of pressure per square inch- enough to crunch bones. They generally kill their prey by rolling until the prey drowns. They then stash the kill in a muddy bank or underwater cave until it is putrid enough for the alligator to tear off pieces.
Alligators were hunted almost to extinction for their skin which is made into fashionable leather goods – shoes, handbags and belts, until they were declared an endangered species. However in recent years, their numbers have increased dramatically, and there is now an annual hunt in the bayous. Hunting licences are required for this. The recent series, Swamp People, on the History Channel, documents the hunt.
The supremacy of ‘gators in the Florida Everglades is now threatened by pythons. While not native to this part of the world, the giant snakes have found the Everglades to be an ideal home with no natural predators. The pythons are thought to number in the hundreds of thousands. An urban myth is that people adopted the snakes when babies as pets, but as they got bigger and threatened small children and family dogs and cats, the owners irresponsibly released them into the Everglades. A more plausible theory is that the snakes originally escaped from a breeding facility that was damaged in a hurricane. Winters in Louisiana tend to be about ten degrees colder than Florida which is too cold for the pythons and probably explains why the Louisiana alligators have not been threatened by the snakes.
If history stays the course, the alligators will prevail and continue on for many more millennia.
Joan O’Callaghan is a recipient of the Golden Apple Award from Queen’s University Faculty of Education for Excellence in Teaching; named Professor of the Year by OISE/UT Students Council, as well as Most Engaging English Instructor and Most Inspirational Instructor.
She is the author of three educational books as well as two e-shorts: George and For Elise (Carrick Publishing).
Her short story Stooping to Conquer appeared in the 2012 Anthology EFD1: Starship Goodwords (Carrick Publishing)
Visit Joan at her FaceBook Page
or Tweet with @JoanOcallaghan
Consider registering early for Bloody Words 2014 before the price goes up on January 1st. The cost now is $175 plus $7 if you register online using PayPal. No extra charge if you register by mail or register online with Interac e-transfer.
On October 27th, the fabulous Mesdames of Mayhem celebrated the print launch of their first anthology, Thirteen, at their favorite bookstore, Sleuth of Baker Street.
Several of the Mesdames appeared in costume: Cathy Astolfo, Melodie Campbell and Jane Peterson Burfield made glamorous witches. Lynne Murphy celebrated her short story, Bessie’s Worms, by impersonating a composter, though happily the worms were of the gummy variety. And Mel’s hubby, Dave, stole the show as a wicked Scottish pirate complete with kilt!
Mme Joan O’Callaghan, the Mesdames marketing guru and organizer of the launch, decorated Sleuth’s with ghoulish delights, without hiding the books and leaving plenty of space for book signings and browsing. Joan’s niece, Jordana Eisen, generously donated her interior design expertise and her private collection of Halloween party gear. Especially popular were: the hay bale with crawling black rats; the 1940’s talking telephone tapped into the spirit world; and the eerie books that moaned and shuffled on the shelf.
And what is a celebration without noms? The Mesdames provided a cornucopia of nibbles and home-baked goodies like fossil cookies and gummy worm cupcakes. The spider cakes were also well-liked. Wine flowed, thanks to Mesdames Catherine Dunphy and M. H. Callway. Madeleine’s husband, Ed Callway, tended bar and their daughter, Claire Callway, acted as photojournalist.
Book signings and mingling with family, friends and fans kept the Mesdames busy and out of trouble. Mesdames Caro Soles and Cheryl Freedman dropped by to share many hugs and congratulations. The big highlight of the afternoon was the readings done by Thirteen’s authors. By the end of the day, seventy books had been sold and signed.
A lovely surprise: publisher extraordinaire, Mme Donna Carrick and co-editors, Joan and Madeleine were thanked by the Mesdames with lovely long-stemmed roses, presented by Mme Dorothy (D. J.) McIntosh!
And last but not least a pat on the head to Percy, resident reading dog. Percy refrained from playing with the large plastic rats and showed remarkable restraint by the food table. His virtue was amply rewarded by treats of cheese at clean-up time.
