I do not know how we saw him, but I am glad we did. As Ben and I were on our way to the Wal-Mart, in the middle of a torrential downpour, I noticed it out in the street. There were no ponds nearby, and it was right by the fairgrounds and Humane Society. Why a fist-sized turtle was out there, I just could not figure out.

And how it didn’t get hit before we turned around was another miracle. But there I was, with flashers on, in the pouring rain, out capturing it and getting it into the car. He (or she) then walked around on my floorboard until Ben and I finished at the Wal-Mart, where we also bought some turtle food and a small aquarium that we could put him in if his mom would say “yes,” which we both agreed was doubtful. But we made it home and waited for her to return.

My only regret was not taking a picture of him, not just for this blog, but for Ben who affectionately named this turtle in a way only Ben could as……………”Turtle.” (this picture looks just like him, but it is actually from some “people who are abnormally obsessed with turtles” site) And though Ben and Turtle bonded in the short time they had together, Amanda had us all walk down and release him into the pond about a block from our house. Not that I was surprised, (that’s why he never was put into the aquarium.) She is quite predictable. In fact, she has often told people she was going to release me down at that same pond too.

But “Turtle,” as we so fondly knew him, went in without a fuss, and seemed quite happy in the end. There are lots of other turtles who live there and the houses on the end of our street are close enough that he should be able to get up close enough to watch cable through the windows without even paying.

But for now we will just remember our adventurous and victorious day. Things turned out pretty well for all of us, and for that I am very thankful.

Goodnight and God Bless from Rescue Central!

Tommy+