Newport, Rhode Island. My new favorite town. Recently the Newport Film Festival gave "Nothing So Strange" its first award. And it's a doozy -- easily the longest-named award I've ever encountered. In full it would be the Newport International Film Festival New York Times Claiborne Pell Award for Original Vision.

Something like this...


Which no doubt we shall shorten to this...


and this...

After Newport I flew to Florida, where an entire panel discussion was devoted to "Nothing So Strange." Exec producer Brian Clark, subject David James and myself took part in the panel, which was moderated by Mike Monello of Haxan Films, the makers of "The Blair Witch Project," a similarly controversial documentary.

But the real attraction in Florida was of course kayak flyfishing with the gators. David James and I met up with veteran guide Ken Daubert at Lake George. I figured all that gator talk was just a humorous way to try to scare us. But it turns out the lake really is filled with gators. We saw one within minutes of arriving. And then Ken recommended, with a straight face, that we wade in and start fishing. So we did. And then we paddled all over the lake with Ken, encountering several alligators along the way. Turns out they won't leap out and bite you. I guess. Leastways, we're still alive. It all kind of seems like a dream in retrospect. And pretty stupid. Kayaking with alligators? What the hell were we thinking? I'll probably do it again next time I'm in Florida, though.