CELEBRATING JIM FOWLER

We're celebrating Jim Fowler's birthday today, April 9th.

Jim dropped in our living rooms on Sunday evenings on Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom where he and Marlin Perkins taught us about the importance of wildlife conservation.

I was fortunate to join the Wild Kingdom team in 1985 and travel with Jim to the swamps of Louisiana to film alligators. Jim taught me how to catch an alligator from our boat.

We drifted up next to one and Jim simply put his hand in the water and quietly flipped it into the boat so we could tag and release it.

Then it was my turn. My heart was pounding as I reached into the water. Jim grabbed my hand and pulled it back and said, "Not that one, Peter. His eyes are too far apart."

As it turns out, for every inch an alligator's eyes are apart, he is a foot long. I was reaching in to grab a 15-foot alligator.

So if it wasn't for Jim, I think my nickname today might be Lefty.

What do you think? That was a relative of yours.