Turtle Adventure

So late this morning I stood up, bleary-eyed after surfing to a random assortment of SkyWatch sites. My mood was momentarily low, after gazing at so many beautiful, often sophisticated blogs and websites, endowed with stunningly crisp, clear photos. Returning to my blog was like being sent from the important third-floor high school hall back down into the kiddish elementary hallways at the small-town Iowa K-12 school I once attended.......from kindergarten through twelfth grade, obviously.

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I was home alone at this point in the late morning; Husband had left to buy needles, tags, and buttons........I think he has a sewing project planned......LOL.......(He went to the veterinarian's office for those items!). Our son was detasseling and daughter was at her retail job at Kohl's. Older Son, about to be married, is home for the weekend, but certainly isn't hanging around the farm......DUH......he's spending time with his fiancee.

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A brisk walk was needed to shake off the sluggish, slightly-depressed mood, and I didn't bother to strap on the camera bag.......no stopping for pictures on this walk........no way! Down the hill to the crick I chugged, intending to turn right around and head back, but happened to glance in the water.......THERE WAS BIG TURTLE IN THERE! I have NEVER seen one in there before! And, wouldn't you know it.......no camera on me.

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I motated back up the hill to the house to retrieve the camera, also suddenly noticing that I had forgotten to take my daughter and son-in-law's first wedding anniversary card to the mailbox, and if I didn't do that first before heading back to the turtle, I would be too late for the mailman.

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Hence, I headed to the mailbox.........SEE........here's proof:

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A crop sprayer and its companion tank truck went by........a common scene right now on country roads in Iowa. Lately, also, I've seen airplanes spraying insecticide on nearby fields.......not ours!! The other night there was a strong moth-ball-like odor coming in our windows after a plane had sprayed at the neighbor's. If you click the photo to enlarge it you will see the sprayer better. I know this is very exciting.........

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Hey........whoa.........hold onto your chair for this dizzying sight.......!!

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Ok, I finally made it back to the "crick" (it isn't a real creek.......its a waterway dug through the farm for drainage.......but, we call it a creek/crick).

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Wouldn't you know it, the turtle had disappeared! My critical analysis thinking skills were kicking in........I decided that the turtle could not have gone very far, for turtles move VERY slowly.......right?

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I climbed down to the edge of the rocks Husband has been lining the creek banks with, crouched down and peered into shadows beneath the rocks and algae. Back and forth went my gaze........I saw lots of minnows, but no turtle.......until finally!.....there he was:

Can you see the turtle? In the upper left corner area of the photo is his tail, and his shell edge leads to the right......then there is a leg and foot. If you enlarge the photo, I think you can see his head and an eye, in there between the shadows in the water. [Actually, its better if you just view the smaller photo.]

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As for where the turtle came from........it probably wandered into our drainage "crick" from the real creek over in the neighbor's field, a half-mile away. Our crick empties into that. I wonder how long it takes a turtle to "wander" that far. Do you suppose he "wonders as he wanders"? (I sang that as a solo in church once, I Wonder As I Wander, Out Under the Sky.........)

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I stood up to leave the creekbank, and you know me......or maybe you don't........but, I'm always on the lookout for colorful rocks. I spotted what looked to be a dark rosy-toned stone in the creek bottom aways off. Excitedly, I made my way over there........darn, it was just a rose-colored leaf lying ON a white stone, in the midst of yucky green algae. But, the sparkles in the water were kind of cool (this photo loaded sideways.....I don't know why).

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Well, that chronicles my adventure for today. It was so exciting, I can hardly stand to type it into a blogpost.

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Have a wonderful Saturday, folks!! I just HAD to tell you about the turtle, since, like I said......I've never seen one here on this farm before!

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Oh, and I almost forgot, I'm adding four scenic blogs to my list, which will soon need to be divided up somehow, I believe, for its getting too long:

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BE66 Photo from Zeeland - The Netherlands

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Merisi's Vienna for Beginners - Austria

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Indograhams - Indonesia

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System Operator - Finland

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Also, couple blogs from Minnesota:

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Peacock Blue (I love the Peanuts quote about the Zamboni machine......I hadn't heard it in years!)

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And.......a blog just born today, Sew Many Days. (What a clever name for a blog!) Let's welcome her to the blogworld!

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Don't forget the other new farmgal blog: Gotta Be A Countrygirl, written by Saddlegait of Alabama!

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