Alligator in our Backyard!

I was standing in the backyard of the house we're staying in this afternoon, talking on the telephone.  When all of a sudden, I looked down the canal and here comes an alligator swimming up to our backyard.  Holy cow!  How exciting is this?   Naturally, like any good mother, the first thing I do is put the dog in the house and yell for the hubby to grab the camera.