Turtle Trouble

A knock on the door brought me running down from upstairs to answer the front door. There stood a woman and a turtle. She'd found it on my lawn and didn't have a phone to call the number on the small metal tag attached with a wire to the base of its shell near the tail. I'd call the number, I assured her, and the tag seemed like it had been cataloged into a scientific study.

I called the number but got an answering machine and no clue to whether this was a place where people would welcome a call about a turtle. But as fate would have it I knew a local keeper of turtles who might know something about who would want to hear about the turtle. It was a box turtle actually, a land reptile that also enjoys swimming in ponds and streams. The Eastern Box Turtle to be presise. From my contact I learned the name of a local naturalist who tags turtles and gave him a call. He was interested in the turtle. He had changed his phone number and moved. If I hadn't had a turtle lover connection, he would have missed out on finding this turtle.


Meanwhile the turtle was hanging out on my screened in porch exploring every corner of it on its stubby legs. The next day the turtle expert called and asked it he could come over and pick up the turtle to study and later release in an appropriate spot. I said sure and we talked for a while about the notes he had on this specimen. It seems that number 689 was a female, May and June is when they come out and about to find a place to lay their eggs, and has been picked up 3 other times near my house. The last time was in 2006. She was full grown and probably around 18 years old. I found out that they can live for about 90 years! Later that day he picked up the turtle and I haven't heard back from him about releasing the animal. I probably wasn't home when he decided to release her. I've posted a few pictures of my turtle friend.

Walking around my town

I know I haven't been posting lately bit I've been busy...walking around my town and getting paid for it. Yes that is right I am getting paid. I am working with the Federal Government to develop the listings for the 2010 census. I have areas that I drive to and then I walk around knocking on doors to make sure the census' address list is up to date and classified according to their system. The weather has been mostly rainy and drizzly with a few nice and warm days here and there.
Mostly I am enjoying looking at the flowers and flowering trees emerging from winter. It makes me want to go home and garden...
I've gotten to do some bird watching. I've seen gold finches, blue jays, cardinals and lucky for me I saw a rosebreasted grossbeak on a feeder one morning. I have seen this bird before but it's been quite a while and in a different part of the country.
I carry a little computer around with me so that working in the rain can get pretty tricky trying to protect the electronics. Very few people are around during the day; the ones you meet are mostly pleasant. Some get into long conversations with you when all I need to know is their mailing address. A few are hostile. I've met a lot of dogs. I ring the door bell at a house and then I hear the barking. I am probably the most interesting thing the dogs have seen all day. They bark and press their noses against the door. Some stare at me as I walk down the driveway. Some come out to "greet me." I've had a few narrow escapes from canines protecting their turf. It's funny, some of the nicest people have all kinds of "private" and "no trespassing" signs along their driveways. Go figure. Others have invited me in to see their place. Some houses are back in the woods in beautiful wooded settings. It's detective work to figure out how to categorize a structure; asking questions of people that are associated with a building and making observations about the structure from outside. Walking is also great exercize although the driving starts and stops can be hazardous if you don't pay attention to the road while you are moving.