Snapping Turtle - Part I

"That this miracle of life, this reproduction - birth, occurs innumerable times every day and has for thousands and even millions of years, does not make it any less of a miracle each unique time, but even more of one."

I was walking down my driveway a few months back, coming home from my morning walk with Missy. As I got down to the bottom fork I was met by my neighbor driving out in his truck. He stopped for a second, stuck his head out the window of the truck and said, “The turtle was back yesterday.”

“Oh my goodness,” I responded, thrilled to hear the news even though I did not witness the sighting. “I can’t believe a year has passed. It’s been one year to the day! This is great, we get another chance!” The countdown begins again.

The first sighting of this turtle, whom we are assuming is the same one, was last year in 2008. It was June 15th. I remember the date because I had made a conscience effort to do so. I made a mental note of it at the time so that I could track the progress and start the countdown. This is how that day begun.

As mentioned, June 15th 2008, I was walking my dog in the early morning. It was the beginning of our walk and it was a beautiful warm morning. When we got to the top of our driveway at the road, we turned right to go onto the grassy area between the mailboxes and the stonewall there, alongside the road. Right next to the last mailbox, on the grass just inches from the road, something catches my eye. Surprisingly, Missy either does not see it or just doesn’t care. Her eyesight doesn’t seem to be all that great and I wonder if she thinks it’s a rock. I am stunned. I just cannot believe what I am seeing. I have never, ever witnessed anything like this.

I see this big snapping turtle, (yes, I’ve seen turtles – but wait, there’s more) probably a bit smaller than a dinner plate – about 8”- 10” in diameter I’d say. I’m wondering why she is not moving after seeing me. I come up to her and am about 1 foot away now. I’m careful to keep Missy at bay, (I picture her going to sniff and getting her nose bitten by this turtle – who could probably take a finger off) although she still isn’t interested. Upon closer examination it becomes clear to me why the turtle is not moving. She is straddling over this hole in the ground. The hole is about 5 to 6 inches around and I can see 2 mounds of dirt on either side of it that have been dug out from it. This mama turtle is laying her eggs there. Amazing! I go and tie Missy’s leash around the wire fence nearby and go back to watch. As I stand behind the turtle I see the eggs dropping out. I stayed and watched until she was done. I counted 13 eggs in about 20 minutes. The eggs are off white in color, round and smooth, and a bit smaller than a golf ball. After every 2 or 3 eggs the turtle reaches down – in slow motion like – with her rear leg (foot?) and, although I can’t see into the hole and so I can’t see the eggs after they have been dropped down there, I realize she is moving the eggs around to make room for more. I can’t believe I get to stand here and watch all of this. How lucky am I? (I have never even seen this on Discovery, although I’m sure it’s been documented.) When all her eggs have been laid and moved and situated just so, she begins to bury them. I am surprised to see that she doesn’t use any of the dirt that came out of the hole – the 2 mounds on either side – but rather she seems to be taking dirt from the sides of the hole. She stops every few seconds and packs it down. All of this is done with only her 2 rear legs.

I finally have to tear myself away because Missy still needs her morning walk, which I cut short. When I come back, the turtle is gone. There is still a little indent where the hole was and where the eggs now lay underground. Of course, I run home and Google snapping turtles to learn when I should expect the eggs to hatch, etc. I learn that the turtle will lay between 20 – 40 eggs and that it will take about 75 to 110 days before they hatch. The colder it is the longer it will take. I note the date – June 15th. The countdown begins. My immediate neighbors, Terry and Jack, had seen the turtle digging the hole at the beginning of their walk and I told my other neighbor (there are 3 homes down my common driveway, which forks at the bottom) Art all about it. I’m figuring October 5th is the drop dead date, although secretly I’m giving it until the 10th or so. (15th?) And now ---- we wait!

So, here are some little known (well little known to me until I Googled it) turtle facts for you to ponder – you know, while we wait. Well, we already know how many eggs and how long it takes for them to incubate, as mentioned above. Further, I have learned that the female turtle will just lay her eggs and will never, ever go back to check on them. She will never know if they hatched or not. She did her job, now she is done! The female turtle will walk a long way – well away from her habitat (pond, lake, etc) to lay her eggs. I guess there are more predators around the habitat area so being further away will give them a better chance of survival. The survival rate is very low for these poor little guys, which is why so many eggs are laid.

Well, October 5th of last year came and went and so did the 10th (and the 15th!) We were all pretty disappointed that no turtles were born. (Do you say they are “born” or do you say they hatched?) But as the year progressed, all was forgotten. (Not really, though.) And now that brings us to this past June 15th, a year later, when Art stopped in his truck to tell me the turtle was back.

Well, I ran into Art up at the mailboxes about a month ago around September 20th or so and I commented, (well, whined really) “No turtles?! No turtles, Art – No Turtles Arthur!” I complained, as if it was all his fault. He was responsible this year because he was the witness and so, the keeper – the guardian! (I guess last year it was my fault.) Although there was still time – it was only 9/20 - for some reason we were all skeptical and had been all along (I guess because last year’s batch didn’t take) and although we were disappointed by the non-event, we weren’t surprised. Maybe again next year? (Perhaps, still, in the next few weeks? I’m not giving up!)

Really though, I gotta say, I wasn’t disappointed at all. I still can’t believe I got to see a turtle lay her eggs!! I mean, how cool is that? Well, it’s very cool in my book. I never ever in my life would have thought or believed that I would see a turtle lay eggs! That was just amazing to me and I still picture it clearly in my mind. (Sorry, no pics – just memory) I think that just, plain ole, just seeing a snapping turtle that day – period – was awesome and would have been “enough” to make my day, (remember though, just seeing a cat makes my day! What is wrong with me?) But then – oh my gosh – seeing her lay the eggs and getting to stand there and watch – well, that is like beyond double icing on the cake for me! Unbelievable. Disappointed? Certainly not. I feel privileged, honored and -- ok I'll say it - blessed - to have witnessed such a thing.

To be continued? I hope so.

Autumn In New England

"The leaves have lost hold of the branches as always; which leaves us with gold and wine colored pathways.” ~ k.d. lang

AAaahhhhhh! Autumn in New England – need I say more?! Probably not, but I can’t stop myself. Today, as I write this, is October 14th. Here in Southern New England we are not quite at peak, they say. However, some leaves are gone off the trees completely while others are not turning into their brilliant yellow, red or orange, but rather almost into a faded yellow or blotchy yellow-brown. It’s as if they skipped their peak stage. There are a lot of trees still that are completely deep green. There are many though, that bare the classic gorgeous, stunning colors you’d expect to see in New England. I’m reminded of a peacock almost – like the trees are vying for attention, each one trying to out-do the other – as if they’re in competition with one another. Which one can be the most breathtaking? It’s like at Christmas-time when the good people of our small town will decorate their homes and yards with lights, nativity scenes, reindeer and Santas. Each one is brilliant and special. Every year you know which ones you can count on and you look forward to seeing them lit up in the holiday season. And so it is with the trees in the Fall. You know which ones usually turn first and which ones are always, always brilliant.

As I started out on my walk with Missy today, I debated with myself about whether to bring my camera. I decided against it. I had already taken pictures on several mornings and I wanted to fully enjoy the colors without the distraction of trying to get the perfect shot. Besides, I’ve come to realize that my camera just does not do justice to the real thing. I’ll see this awesome display of colors bursting through a collage of green and when I look at the picture afterwards it’s just not as wonderful. I don’t have any fancy camera and I don’t claim to be a photographer. And, if you are ever in need of video, do yourself a huge favor and be sure not to ask me. You’ll have to trust me on that one. Others can attest to this though.

We live down a long driveway about 2/10’s of a mile from the road. We refer to our driveway, which we share with our neighbors, in sections of which there are 4. Starting from our house, the first section - heading SSW - is from the bottom of our deck steps up to "the corner;" then you make a left turn - heading ESE - into the section we call "the straightaway;" (there is a gorgeous stonewall that runs parallel to the straightaway on the right with woods on the other side of it. Our neighbor's house is on the left and their private drive comes out onto the common driveway here), then – my favorite section - you turn right into “the enchanted forest” and lastly, you emerge from the forest and make an S turn and on up "the hill." On the right side of the hill is a nice open field and on the left is the rear yard and large vegetable garden of “Mr. McGregor.” (I think my Mom first started to refer to the section through the woods as the “enchanted forest.” My boys were thrilled by this, but more on that in another post!) So, as you walk through the enchanted forest, of course there are woods on either side. At the beginning of the forest, which is just at the end of the straightaway, the stonewall is interrupted due to the driveway cutting through it and through the woods there. I like to sit on the stonewall while I finish my morning coffee. Missy is always impatient yet tolerant when I do this. I need to have her on her leash at this point because there are usually deer nearby which she has been known to chase through the woods. As I sit on the stonewall, I never tire of gazing into the woods along the edge of the straightaway as the sun – just beginning to rise – lights up the tips of the trees in the sort of amber hue that you only see at dawn and dusk. The sun seems to rise so quickly, moving down the trees now as the amber light becomes more washed with yellow. Even when the trees are their deep dark green, the sight of them in the morning amber light at this angle is stunning. Now, with the trees in varying shades of yellow, orange and red, it is truly breathtaking. I look down the gravel driveway through the enchanted forest. The tall trees on either side reach over to meet in the middle above the driveway and the canopy is now aglow with the morning sun lighting up this, usually darker stretch, with soft amber light. It reminds me almost of sitting in a room; the door is open and the light from it is spilling into the otherwise darkened hallway lighting it up with a gentle glow. Or perhaps, more like a “farmer’s porch” in the evening which is lit up by the soft glow of recessed lights in the porch ceiling which have been dimmed. You can’t see the actual harsh lights or light fixtures, but rather a nice faint glimmer. Just as the ceiling canopy of the enchanted forest is brilliant, the gravel forest floor here - not to be out done – is covered with a beautiful array of fallen leaves creating lovely “gold and wine colored pathways.” How much better can this get?

I walk through the enchanted forest with Missy and up the hill to finally meet the road. From my mail box here to the end of my road is a mere 7/10’ths of a mile more or less. It is level and straight. Our street has a variety of homes and is lined with stonewalls and huge oak trees. How old are the walls and the bigger trees? 200 years? There are 2 homes at the end of our street that have “historical” plaques on them. One is from 1775 and the other dates back to 1812. Where our road ends you must either turn left or right onto Lake Street (if you are driving), Missy and I always go straight across into the park and the lake is just 200 feet ahead. Also at the end of our street is the town green with memorials, monuments, plantings and walking pathways. This is where the people gather with the parade for a ceremony every Memorial Day. (Another post!)

There is a beautiful park to walk through, the water’s edge, the paths up through the woods to “The Point,” which overlooks the lake, the cemetery nearby and on and on. I’ll not even try to further describe the beauty of all this during any of the seasons let alone the Fall, (though I will describe different things about these lovely places in other posts.) I’m not a poet or a writer and I’m sure much has already been written about autumn in New England. I’ll just say I marvel at it all and never ever tire of it. There is so much gorgeousness in this 2+ mile walk. (There is so much gorgeousness in my own yard and driveway before even getting up to the road). I think every season is my favorite.

On my walk back today I stopped several times, as I usually do, just to look. I must have been stopped longer than usual at this one spot in the road. It is the area where you can see the valley and the hills beyond. The distant hills, in Fall colors, look rather like a bowl of fruit loops or trix and the early sun, of course, works its magic upon them. Suddenly I am aware that Missy is looking at me – head cocked. “How long have I been out?” I wonder and I wonder what she is thinking. I’m reminded of my favorite poem by Robert Frost as he stops by the woods on a snowy evening – just looking and gawking, no doubt, at the beauty of the snow falling in the woods, so “lovely, dark and deep,” and Frost writes: “my little horse must think it queer to stop without a farmhouse near, between the woods and frozen lake---” Missy gives her leash a little tug and grunts. Frost writes: “he gives his harness bells a shake, to ask if there is some mistake.” “OK,” I say to Missy. “Let’s go.” I tear myself away and on we walk a bit further before turning left into our driveway, continuing down the hill, through the enchanted forest – picking up the coffee cup I left there on the stonewall at the start - and the straightaway, then round the bend and up the steps to our deck. With the sun rising later we’ve been getting a later start. We’ve been out just over an hour and it is now close to 8:00. Early still I guess. (I’m looking forward to the time change soon so I can get out an hour earlier. I loved getting out before 5:00 during most of the summer.) I give Missy a treat and pour a glass of water for myself. I stand near the sliders while I drink my water, still looking, and take a deep breath when I am done. I am ready to shower and start my day.

Editor's Note: I hope you will Google "Stopping By Woods on A Snowy Evening" and also "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost. 2 of my favorites. If you are reading my blog, I know they are your favorites too! Enjoy!

Letterboxing

“Thoughts meander like a restless wind inside a letterbox” ~ Lennon/McCartney

Do any of you out there know what letterboxing is? Oh my gosh, this letterboxing stuff is so cool! My husband told me about it last year (I think) but I had forgotten all about it. Well, he just directed me again, the other day, to the website and this time I have bookmarked it. (A huge thank you to my husband who knows this stuff is right up my alley!) (By the way, have any of you checked your bookmarked stuff lately? My list is quite lengthy and I wonder if I already have this letterboxing on it. The other day, while sifting through my bookmarked stuff/“favorites” I came upon this great blog I saved about tides in the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick. Very cool stuff. I’m so glad I saved it and I need to check further to see all the others I’ve saved – and forgotten. Of course, all of you out there have my blog bookmarked, right? Right?)

OK, back to the letterboxing. Go to www.letterboxing.org. (Wait, not yet.) I know you all can figure it out from there. (But I’ll explain a little bit about it below) So people actually make these stamps. I remember making something when I was in the 4th grade. You sort of carved out something on the surface of a special block of wood. The wood was soft and we had special tools – (I can’t believe they let us have these sharp tools, which I remember looked something like a potato peeler.) Then you had some sort of roller thing that you rolled in ink and then rolled on your wood design and then finally stamped on a card which you brought home to your Mom. So, I think that is what they mean when they say everyone has their own unique handcrafted stamp. But, they say, you can buy one if you’re in a pinch. I wonder what they mean by that? Why would someone be in a pinch and just have to rush out to go "a- letterboxing?"

So, here’s what you do. When you go online to the website, you’ll click on your state and find your county and you may find your town or a town near you. There should be several different things listed to click on. Each one will be a whole separate thing. You click on it and they give you clues. You need a compass and it is like a treasure hunt. Anyway, when (if) you find your letterbox, inside it will be the person’s unique stamp and a pad. You stamp your pad with their stamp and you stamp their pad with your stamp and then re-bury the treasure box – I mean letterbox. Beyond that, I don’t know what else you do. I still have to find out. Of course you can go hide a letterbox and register at this site and then go online and give your clues, etc. This is really exciting stuff for me. And, more importantly though, it’s something to do with your younger children. Something fun you can do together. How wonderful is that.

Well, I can’t believe that there is a letterbox at the very place where I go almost every time I walk my dog. This place is my favorite spot to go, overlooking the lake where I live, (it is “the Point” that I have mentioned in other posts) and there is a letterbox there, somewhere. I haven’t looked for it yet, but I’m looking forward to doing that soon! Be sure to check out that site I gave above. (Yes, go there now). Enjoy!

EDITOR'S NOTE: Well, I couldn't find the letterbox at the Point, but I am going to keep on searching for it when I'm there. However, at my other favorite place to go to, which is right near the Point - (it is the cemetary - weird, I know) I did find a letterbox. Very cool and exciting! I didn't have a hand-made stamp (or an emergency store bought one) but I did sign my initials on the pad and the date and tucked it all back safe and sound! Very very cool!

Random Acts Of Kindness?

“You’ve got to get up every morning with a smile on your face and show the world all the love in your heart.” ~ Carole King

When I was in college, some 30+ years ago, I believed in the goodness of people. It was truly my belief that people were basically good and decent and I was in love with the human race. I wanted to do what I could to help people who were less fortunate than me. I was going to join the Peace Corps.

Well, I never did join and soon after college – somewhere along the way – I became jaded and even turned cynical. I believe that it was soon after joining the ranks of the working class, going to work every day in the “corporate world,” that this jadedness occurred. Due in part perhaps to the game of office politics, which I learned quickly and reluctantly how to play, and partly due to my role of dealing with the public – these real people face to face on the telephone. It was then that I came to believe that people were basically idiots.

Then, later still, I had another reversal of how I viewed the world and how I looked at people. I don’t know when it was (because it was a long time ago) that I, again, started believing in the goodness of people but I’m glad I did. I believe we are all in this together and we might as well be kind to one another. For one thing it is just easier that way.

So, what changed? Well, the serenity prayer comes to mind. “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.” You can’t change people, but you can change the way you view people. You can change your own attitude toward people. Honestly, I really don’t remember making any conscience decision to change myself, but I do know that we all have the power to look at things a certain way. Attitude is a very powerful thing. We wake up every morning and can decide right then whether or not to have a good day. The outcome of our day all depends on how we decide to go through our day. It’s 90% attitude. On one of the morning shows – years ago – one of the anchors used to sign off by saying, “Go out and make it a good day.” You really do have the power to make of your day anything you really want it to be. You can make it a good day. OK, trite I know – but “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade; and when life gives you scraps, make a quilt.” You get the idea. It doesn’t have to be that drastic though. Just resolve to have a good day. So, it is raining out. Big deal! Use your umbrella - and share it with someone who forgot theirs! Rain can be a good thing. It depends on how you look at it.

I think that most people know that the Boy Scout motto is “be prepared” but lesser known, I think, and the more important philosophy is the Boy Scout slogan, which is “Do a good turn daily.” The scout leaders were always quick to add, to do at least one good turn daily. Do good things, period. Even the scout oath says, “---to help other people at all times,---“ If we all really lived these simple principles, how much easier would life be?! When I was a den leader with my younger son’s cubscout den, our den was chosen to open the Pack meeting with a prayer. I picked this nice prayer, called “A Boy’s Prayer” which I had found in my grandfather’s 1912 pocket bible given to him from the Boys Christian School he attended in his youth. I renamed it “A Scout’s Prayer,” and each boy read a line from it. One line read, “send me small chances to do a little good every day.”

So now I ask you, “random” acts or “deliberate” acts of kindness? I know the “Practice Random Kindness and Senseless Acts of Beauty” or “Random Acts of Kindness” bumper stickers that we all see is really an answer to all the horrible headlines we see: “Random shootings. Senseless acts of violence, killings,” and so on. But I believe that we should really be deliberate in the kindnesses we show to other people and we should make this a way of life. Do a good turn daily. Seek out and create chances to do a little good every day. You don’t need to be “younger” than someone or be a “male” to do any of the following: Pump gas for someone; open the door for someone; let someone go ahead of you at the checkout; give someone your seat on the bus; tell a stranger that you like their shirt, (if you like their shirt); give a ride to someone if you know they need it; if you are able to – when you pay for your coffee at the drive-thru – pay for the car behind you, be sure to ask the cashier to tell the car person to pay it forward when they can; volunteer: and so on and so on! These are simple things that we can do. It is amazing how little an effort on our part can result in making someone's day and/or really turning their day around.

Practice deliberate and purposeful acts of kindness. Show the world all the love in your heart. Resolve to be positive. Strive to be a better person. I could go on and on (I think I already have) but I don’t want to sound too preachy and I don’t want to come off sounding as if I am “perfect” somehow. Far from it. You get the idea. We all can be better people. Now, go out and make it a good day!

EDITOR'S NOTE: (Me again) I was blessed the other day to have been sent a small chance to do a little good. While in the lobby of the post office, I noticed someone's checkbook at the table there. The address on it was right down the road from my home, so I went there to deliver it. No one was home so I left a note. Someone called to say that the person didn't live there anymore and he didn't know who the person was. I went to the PO the next day to see if the guy had been there looking for his checkbook or that maybe he had a PO box there. He had not and did not. So I drove to his bank, just 10 minutes away, and gave it to the customer service person. She was able to look up his account and see that he did not call to close out his account or anything. I'm glad he didn't go through all that trouble to close it out and open another one. She'll put a note, on-line, that his checkbook had been found - etc. etc. And - she will call him. She has a new address for him and a phone number! I'm sure he would have called to find out about it sooner or later, so I feel he's all set and will get good news when he calls his bank or they call him!