On my drive to work this morning I counted 8 smashed red-eared sliders on the side of the road. On my recent trip to Ohio to the wedding of my brother the smashed turtles were too many to count. For some reason I feel a certain measure of sadness as I view these wonderful creatures splayed out on the side of the road. I don't know if it is because I always wanted to have pet turtles when I was a kid or if I remember rescuing a turtle from oncoming traffic during one of our family vacations.
This recent reflection on turtles has given me a great idea (well at least I think it's great). I am thinking about building a turtle habitat or sanctuary in my backyard where they will be able to swim, eat, sun, hibernate, and even mate.
I am sure the kids would love it; Lyndsay even thinks it is a cool idea, although she just smiles and nods her head at me and says, "You and your ideas," which means, "You'll have forgotten about this idea in a few more days." We'll see.
10 comments:
I had to laugh at your comment about Lyndsay. We had a turtle once in that old tire sandbox at the parsonage in Streator. He really didn't do very well, not to discourage you or anything. Do you think your affinity to turtles has to do with the teenage mutant kind?
mkhughes
I'm sure that plays a pretty large role. I think every kid wanted a half-dollar sized turtle in a fishbowl after watching that cartoon. I do remember having that box turtle in our sandbox. The habitat I'm thinking about would be of course...better.
we had a turtle in our sandbox, but somehow it surmounted the walls and made it to freedom. You'd just have to make your habitat so appealing they would never want to leave. It sounds like a great idea!
If you had been a kid in the later '50s or early '60s you would have had many half dollar sized turtles in a fish bowl. We certainly did. They were easily available at Ben Franklin and other dimestores. One turtle would die and be easily replaced by another one. Someone figured out that turtles carry some sort of bacteria or something, much to the disappointment of kids everywhere.
mkhughes
Turtles, on occassion, are carriers of salmonella. So in 1975 the government banned the sale of turtles with a shell size smaller than 4 inches. The reason being that small children were getting sick after putting small turtles in their mouths as well as eating their feces. Yum!
Ya Lyndsay is right on with her comment.
Remember when you sold steaks...for one day. LOLOLOLOL!!!!!!
Totally loved seeing you guys. It's fun when friends can be together after such a long absence. Corrie and I were in a great need of time with you and then the vacation we just took. God's timing is amazing! I know we are in the middle of the "summer slump" at church, but I'm curious to know how you liked our little community. I figure we need about 2 solid days to catch up, so either we're gonna have to come visit or you'll have to bring the kids to Kings Island sometime. Seriously, great seeing you guys...
oh yeah... turtles... i saved an alligator snapper from eminent doom in the middle of a Tennessee highway on the first youth trip I ever led with Lincoln Christian Church... i was the kids hero the whole week, but i nearly died wrapping the thing in my sweatshirt... it was freakin huge
adam waters
Hey Jon, do you remember when you and I spent like 30 mins in the office listening to TMNT music online? haha
tim
Barbarosa, how could I forget that day. Those songs were so hilarious. Although, that was the only time during your whole internship that we ever wasted 30 minutes. wink
haha. yeah...we have still never made any ridiculous videos with knights and kings and paladins...
tim
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