We were driving down the South Shore Drive on our way to the Memorial Day service at the courthouse when Dick hit the brakes, jumped out and ran to the back of the pick-up.
Turtle egg-laying season is started early, I thought, figuring he was moving one of these creatures across the road. But this was no ordinary rescue. Suddenly Dick was at my window signaling for me to open the back door.
I did and he plunked a small round object on the floor behind the passenger seat. It was a little turtle, the size of a smallish pancake. “It might be dead,” he said, “but I just couldn’t leave it there. Is it moving?”
I peered down at the creature. “Nope.
I looked again. “Wait!” A tiny nose peeked out from one end of the shell. “It’s alive!”
Not only was it alive, it was very much alive as four miniscule reptilian legs popped out from under the shell. “It’s moving!” I announced as it slowly maneuvered around the back-seat floor. I kept an eye on it.
We decided to bring it up to Devil Track after the ceremony. “Can’t leave him to roam around in here.” I noticed his explorations were getting a bit more adventuresome. “Goodness knows where he’ll end up.”
We parked near the courthouse, and I dropped Turtle in a Co-op recycling bag. Turtle was not happy and made an all-out effort to scale the slippery side of the bag. I tightened the handles, set it on the floor, and we took off for the courthouse lawn where we attended a powerful Memorial Day service. (If you’ve never gone to one, I highly recommend doing so.)
Following the service, we returned to the pick-up. When I checked-up on Turtle he made a mad dash for freedom. I clamped the bag’s top together, and we drove home as Turtle relentlessly tried to climb out. I suppose by now, it wanted nothing more than its freedom.
Driving down a logging road near our house, with Turtle firmly secured, we found a nice spot on a little stream that empties into Pocket Lake.
Gently we set the little creature down, expecting it to make a beeline for the water, but it froze. We waited. It sat. After enough time passed, Dick picked it up, and we moved it a little closer to the water.
Turtle liked this new location, and with amazing speed disappeared into the water. So began this year’s turtle season.
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