Charlie and the Nature Factory [Warning: Stunningly Beautiful Large Photo Images]

swachski said:

Someone suggested I post this image again, for old times sake..

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That one's a classic and should be posted more often.

Amanda R. said:

Are you sure they would "kill" the gator? I am from Florida where gators can run amok. Even if they do end up somewhere dangerous (like a pool), they don't kill them. They just remove them to a local river or other water source where the fact that it is a gator area is clearly marked. While thinking the gator would kill a child is pretty remote, it could kill a pet which can be pretty awful (my pets are my kids). If the gator doesn't move on soon, (which it will if it doesn't find a mate), manual relocation will be his best option.

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heyjude said:

Yes, they often do. It depends on whether they're classified as a nuisance or not. Most often, it's the humans who're the nuisances.

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Jude is correct. Alligators considered a threat to people and/or property in the state of Florida are routinely euthanized by a bullet to the head, usually by a licensed trapper. Juvenile gators, those under three feet long, are relocated. The larger animals are often deemed a nuisance and disposed of, even if they've done nothing wrong, when only a single person reports that they felt threatened by the animal.

You said that where you live in Florida, "gators can run amok." Of course they can, as long as no one complains about them. My fear for Charlie is that if someone wants him removed from this area bad enough, as in killed, all they'd have to do is claim they felt threatened by him, whether it was true or not. And it will happen eventually, I fear, as he grows bigger and appears more menacing while going about the business of his survival.

I have my own ideas about relocating Charlie to a safer location. It involves a little help, a sizable bribe, a long road trip and a few laws broken; but if all goes according to plan will be worth the risk. And that's all I have to say about that, for now...

swachski said:

I'll help! I'll help!

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Good! Maybe we can split the funds toward paying for the bribe part of the plan.

Seriously though, I'm pretty sure the move will happen soon. I wasn't going to mention it until after the fact; but now that it's out, you'd think I'd be concerned about revealing such things on a public message board. Well I'm not in the least. And whatever the consequences, I will stay true to doing what I feel is right in this case.

On a different note, I visited a bird rookery by boat recently and spied these two great blues along the way:

swachski said:

I know you're probably joking, but I'd totally contribute to a "Save Charlie Bribe" Fund.

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I've got that part covered, thanks for the offer.

My favorite Charlie photo, this one from last March:

Tepelus said:

...I think $100 for a 9x12 one-of-a-kind, hand-drawn piece of art on professional grade paper is worth it. I may even be chincing myself a little on the price, but since I knew the person I wasn't going to over-charge. Now I will never offer to do work for that person again.

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For a mere $100, they'd be fortunate if you had agreed to a single, simple photo portrait, let alone a drawing.

People like that expect you to work for free or next to nothing and are surprised when they discover you value your talent far more than they are willing to pay. If I were you, I wouldn't even look at their daughters for under $300 or more for a paid commission.

ETA: Cross-posted with swachski, who is on the same page.

If I were Tep, I'd show potential customers this work, then set my prices accordingly, which would be far greater than the $100 she is now seeking for portraits.