Open Water Attack :o

Saturday, 7:15 a.m. Lake Jacksonville, Texas. No kidding, there I was....no one else around save for a few bass fisherman trolling along the shore. It's 125 yards across the cove to the first buoy according to my speed/time/distance trials on a jet ski the night before. The water is smooth, like a glass table top. I dove in from the boat ramp and eased into a nice slow warm-up pace. The water is a sort of aquamarine color. Nice easy breathing...stroke, stroke, stroke....breathe... I'm probably 100 yards out when I felt the first claw rip into my back, just below my shoulder blade. At the same time the second claw caught me on the left side I felt the animal's weight started pushing me under water. I inhaled a bit of air, and a lot of water just before I went under, and then I rolled and started kicking and punching for all I was worth. At some point I remember thinking "I didn't THINK there were any alligators here!". Then I heard it. The distinct wimper of man's best friend. I caught a quick glimpse of what looked to be......a dog. Black lab. In my mind of course I'm thinking "where did the alligator go?" all the while trying to tread water and cough and not drown. After a few moments of terror I finally allowed that there probably wasn't an alligator attacking me. He followed me back to the dock, and then proceeded to hang out with me the rest of the weekend. I guess he forgave the beating...that or I didn't really connect as cleanly as I thought I did . He would not go away. I awoke Sunday morning and pulled the blinds to look out at the lake and there he was, nose against the glass, waiting for me to go swimming.