A Walk With A Turtle!

I checked the nest once the turtle left...no eggs to be seen.

Take a walk with a turtle.

And behold the world in pause.

—Bruce Feiler

This squirrel would not leave the turtle alone until we wandered near.

There you are...if you look closely you will see the fading "red ear."

I've rescued a few dozen turtles or so during my wandering around. Most of the time I have to do nothing, but watch. Turtles can get across the road on their own. I've only helped in the case of busy roads, where traffic must be directed or turtles moved before tragedy strikes.

I've spent a ridiculous amount of time waiting for turtles to decide on a route and arrive at their new pond (or whatever) - once blocking traffic as a giant snapping turtle I could not lift (and whose snap could have taken my hand off) crossed a 3 lane roadway and another time following a slider for a quarter mile in the middle of the day (HOT day - sunburn - bummer).

But today was something different. Today we saw a large* older** Red-eared Slider stopped a few feet from the hike and bike trail in what is the busier part of the park. It was early and we were there to walk dogs. And of course I went to investigate.

It was obvious the turtle had been digging a hole. “Nesting,” I cried. “She’s nesting!”

I handed Zelda over to my friend explaining that I planned to wait and keep the turtle safe until she completed her job.***

Stepping off of the trail and behind the trunk of a large pecan tree I waited. The turtle never completely retracted its head. And it never resumed digging.