My alligator died. Or more correctly, the floating alligator that I had purchased to frighten ducks away from my pool, came apart today.

I had seen an ad for the alligator in a magazine and for something like $29 I had purchased the beast. Well, the beast in life was more like an alligator puppy, but he did float, and if you looked closely, he looked like he might take a chunk out of a duck.

I put Al in the pool and a couple days later, the ducks came, seeming to ignore the floating, not so terrifying, alligator. Nonetheless, the alligator stayed. He was, I have to admit, rather cute. My beagle, Sandy, seemed to take a liking as well, always looking for the alligator when she went close to the pool.

And then one night when the dogs and I made our walk around the pool, the alligator was gone. Wow…did the someone sneak in the back yard and steal the alligator? Nope. The next day when we visited the pool area, I noticed something sticking out of the pool skimmer. I got out that grabber thing my husband left me and pulled. Yep, the whole alligator came out. He had been sucked into the drain, but he was back..all three small sections of him!

So this time the alligator was placed in the spa area attached to the pool. The spa did not have a water return. However, the spa did have running water which ran over a depression in the wall between the spa and pool. A week or so passed and the alligator was gone again! I looked at the pool drain and there he (or rather his tail) was. He came out whole again and as good as new. The grabber placed him back in the spa. Then each time I went by the pool and spa I looked for the alligator. My beagle looked as well, even giving him a sort of distant smell test, as if he knew the alligator had indeed become part of the family.

Some days the alligator was lodged up against the spillway, so out would come the grabber to replace him in the back of the spa. This happened many times….until today. Today when I went to grab the alligator, the head separated from the rest of the alligator. Then l saw that the hook that kept the head attached to the body had broken and appeared (to this non-mechanic) beyond repair.

So now, my alligator is seeing the place where imperfect things are taken once a week by the folks at Republic Services. After all, how frightening (or even cute) would a headless alligator be?

Rest in peace (or pieces), dear alligator. You were a fun visitor for several months in Las Vegas. The beagle and I will miss your toothy smile.