Year of the Turtle?

  I am beginning to think that every turtle in the state has moved to the Bayou.  There have been more sightings of the critters than in previous years.  We have caught them on our fishing lines, pulled them out of the Frog Pond (they were stranded and could not make the steep climb) and found them in the compost pile.  They are munching my figs, eating the leftover cat food and tasting the tomatoes.  Besides being busy with the aforementioned things, they are digging holes and laying eggs all over the yard!  Turtles, turtles, turtles...everywhere!  We have even taken to naming them.  A few days back, I explained the reasoning behind one being named Virginia, well....today, Son named one "Turtle".  (Yes, extremely original!) Son's explanation of the moniker?  "I won't forget its name." and he fed it another fig.  Makes sense to me but stop feeding the figs to turtles!

  This afternoon, I headed out the back door to check why the Critter Neighborhood Watch crew was throwing up the alarm.  Some predator was obviously upsetting the blue jays because their racket could be heard even indoors.  After finding that it was a couple of crows displaying malicious intent, I left the crew to do their work.  The blue jays could handle it far better than I.  On the way back to the house, my path took me far down near the marsh.  It was there that yet another turtle was found.  This time, a large mud covered Cooter turtle had come out of the Bayou to lay her eggs.  This is the fourth egg-laying turtle that I have found this summer and I know I have missed dozens others.

  The turtle was oblivious to my presence and never once stopped her task of digging a nice nest.  Afterward, she deposited the round, white eggs into the hole, then proceeded to cover it.  When she finished, she dug several more "decoy" holes in hopes that the raccoons would tire of digging before they found her eggs.  I hope so, too.  I hope so, too.