OT - The Turtle

Last week I wrote about how DH saved a chipmunk from certain death on the
side of the road.

Yesterday, we were able to save a turtle from death as it crossed a road.

We were driving along, less than a mile from our home, when DH starts
cursing, swerves and pulls over to the side of the road (I usually let him
drive as he has a tendency to be overly critical of my driving - and he also
has a tendency to motion sickness when he is not driving, no matter how
short the trip). The road is *very* narrow there as the land on either side
is wooded at that point.

I had seen what looked like a shoe near the center line of the road. DH
pops out of the vehicle and disappears for a split second. When he
reappears and enters the vehicle, he plops the "shoe" down on the center
console.

It's not a shoe - it's a turtle! And Eastern Box Turtle (or one of it's
sub-species) to be exact
http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/publi.../boxturtle.htm. These
critters used to be abundant in Indiana when I was a kid, but have recently
been added to the "protected species" list here, as of October of last year.
It's illegal to keep them as pets, unless you had it before the beginning of
the year & get a special permit from the Department of Natural Resources
(DNR).

I pick it up to hold it so it won't crawl it's way off the center console
and into the footwell on DH's side, limiting his driving abilities and
causing a wreck. DNR recommends that if seeing one crossing a road, you
should pick it up and move it to the side of the road it was heading for.
It's too busy and narrow for that where he was (luck we didn't get
rear-ended while we were stopped just to pick him up), but less that 50
yards away, the road widens. We pull over there. But by the time we get
there, said turtle decides to empty it's bladder - all over my lap. These
critters must have *huge* bladders

Anyway, DH pulls over, and I hop out and run over to the edge of the wooded
area, and set the turtle down. It immediately crawls to the safety of the
woods.

I, covered in turtle-pee, return to the car and we continue on our
errand(s) - yes, I do get a few curious glances from people in the store(s)
in regards to my wet lap, but I just smile and carry on.

Chalk up *2* wildlife rescues in the course of *4* days!
--�
The ONE and ONLY
lefthanded-pathetic-paranoid-psychotic-sarcastic-wiseass-ditzy former-blonde
in Bloomington! (And proud of it, too)©
email me at nalee1964 (at) insightbb (dot) com
http://community.webshots.com/user/mgcmdjeep