Turtle soup, anyone?

They say simple pleasures for simple minds, so what does it say about us that we all get excited about finding a snapping turtle in our yard?
 

We are getting very nerdy about our camera so, of course, when everybody ran to see the turtle the camera freak (who shall remain nameless) hollered to someone to grab the camera and we took turns taking pictures and video as we examined him in fascination.  You'd think we've never seen a real live turtle before.  Oh, wait, we haven't!  Not outside of a zoo, that is. 

He's sort of cute, isn't he?
 

We all gathered around and gave guesses of what kind of turtle he was, what he ate, trying to determine if he had teeth or not and wondering at the beauty of his shell and the strange legs and webbed feet he had.  His eyes would shutter shut almost as if several layers of doors slammed shut in rapid succession.  Here is some video we shot if you can stand my voice. (Is that really what I sound like to others?!)  You can see his eyes go all funny and see his quick snapping action.  (I sound like a have a bubble in my throat!  Are you sure I sound like that?)  Okay, I'm over it.  Go ahead and watch the video.  Next time I'll have to use my best Australian accent.  "Aaaaaaw isn't he a beauty!?"  Then I'll sound funny on purpose.
 

 

We found a stick and put it in front of him to see what he would do and he snapped at it with lightning speed.  He took an impressive chunk out of the wood and people took a healthy step backward with their bare feet.  The dogs kept jumping in to worry the turtle and he would react with a furocity that was fearsome.
 

We finally decided that we couldn't just leave the turtle in the yard where the little children play, so Jordy went and got the wheelbarrow and the shovel while Ethan got the hoe. (Remember back when I made my "homesteader for beginners" comment about how we came to take dominion of the land with only a spade from Wal-Mart?  Yes, we have added to our collection of "homesteader equipment".  Baby steps to homesteading!)

 Steve flipped the turtle over with the hoe and Jordy shoveled him into the wheelbarrow,

 

 

 

and Jacob wheeled him down the road to the nearest bridge where we believed he would be happy, not to mention far from our precious piggytoes.

 

 

We put some water in the wheelbarrow so he wouldn't have as much traction to climb out.  We weren't sure how he would react to being tossed into it and wheeled along but he just ducked into the water and went along peaceably.

 

I took baby Samuel in to finish up dinner preparations but I had to laugh out loud as I watched Daddy and the children all trailing down the dirt road in a gay procession wheeling the turtle as if he were royalty riding in his chariot!
 

 

 

What must the neighbors think of us and all of our city folk silliness!

 



 

Jacob tipped him out gently into the grass by the roadside.  Here he is in his new home with a lovely bridge all to himself to snap all he wants.  When Steve and I passed by later on that day out on our evening constitutional, we saw no signs of him.

 

 

 

Later, Jordy confirmed his initial guess and identified him as a snapping turtle.  Now, if we were true rednecks, we would've had turtle soup for supper.  It's the soup that comes with it's own bowl!

It is strange to think of all the curious wildlife lurking in the grass right on our property!  I forgot to tell the story of when Steve went out in his jammies late one night to chase an armadillo across the fields and put nicks in the blade of his Bowie knife while the armadillo didn't even notice his efforts. 

Maybe I'll tell that one another day?