On one of my last days in Tennessee I was checking my email. The computer room looks out into woods and has a hummingbird feeder on it. These features make it a lovely spot to just look out at and stare. Some times I've seen birds and twice I've seen grey foxes. On this particular day I stared out and suddenly a certain kind of movement --many, many yards away-- caught my eye. I looked back and, in the far distance of trees and dry, brown leaves, I saw a little box turtle turtling its box towards one thing or another (is it actually toward? or can I use either). I got up and quickly ran in my nearly barely feet out to say hello to the turtle. It stuck its head in its shell very quickly. I took a few photographs of him (or her) on the rock and then put him (it or her) by the tomato plant. Then I went back to computer world but got up every five to ten minutes to check on the turtle. First three times he was by the tomato plant but with his head very much not in view. But on the fourth...which admittedly had a longer interval of time...I went out and that sucker had scooted on. Scooted to some place that I could not see. I tried using my turtle eagle eyes and my not entirely shabby ears and looked. And looked. And looked. And I would like to be able to say I found it again and got to take a photograph of its turtly little head and it was awesome. Unfortunately even turtle eagle eyes have limitations.
1 comment:
Turtles are so awesome, but you didn't do daddy dear's tomato plants one jot or tittle of a favor; M or Mme Turtle most likely will take happy bites out of numerous tomatoes. Can't stay and eat one, nope gotta eat one bite out of many.
I totally freaked out one day in my garden a few years ago, minding my own business picking a tomato or twelve and a huge HUGE box turtle aimed his/her not so tiny head my way. I of course imagined that the head was attached to a snake body and not a turtle body. After I had two minor heart attacks I picked up the turtle and escorted him/her to the deep lovely luscious taking-over-the-world periwinkle on the faaaaaar side of the garden. No more turtle bites on the 'maters. For a while at least.
But still and all your little guy/gal is quite lovely!
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