Sun-dappled Turtle

   There are so many things that simply marvel me about nature.  Just the everyday happenings that most folks never notice are astounding to my way of thinking.  A butterfly crawling from its chrysalis, an alligator lying in wait for breakfast,  the night-blooming cereus bud opening...are all miraculous wonders.  My only sad part is that the camera is still on the blink.  It is hard to get good photographs when the goofy thing only works occasionally.  I suppose taking it on hikes during rainstorms has greatly diminished its capabilities.  What invigorates me, hampers the functioning of electronics...so it seems.

  Early this morning, I did not dare venture down to the pier.  Lightning bounced around on the Bay making it a bit scary to be a "sitting duck".  I did slip out to the Small Gardens just to breathe.  It is there that I can truly find the feeling of being alive.  While there, I heard a slight crunch of something stepping on the gravel in Pebble Creek (the glorified drain from the house eaves).  This 50ft long running "creek" that ends in Puddle Pond is a never-ending source of interest as critters love the place.  This morning's visitor was a box turtle.  I quietly chose a spot under the Curcumin leaves so I could be a bit sheltered from the drizzly rain as I visited my friend.  These 5ft tall plants with the huge leaves directed the water droplets away from me and down into the gravel.   As soon as I settled into my little spot, the sun burst through the clouds and dappled Pebble Creek and the turtle in a glorious array of sun splotches!  This was turning into one of the nicest mornings ever!

 

  I watched as the turtle grubbled around in the gravel.  Hmm?  It was after something but what?  My answer soon came as the turtle pulled out a fat earthworm!  Imagine that!  There were earthworms under the gravel IN the two inches of water!  The turtle happily munched the worm and started searching again.  How wonderful that the turtle was smart enough to search here.  Being able to watch my friend fill her belly made the morning a bit happier for me.  Rain storms or sun-dappled turtles, the Small Gardens abound in wonders.

Going for a swim!

   Doctors' visits, errands and grocery shopping just about did me in for today.  Enough was enough.  I was ready to be home...back in my little domain where peace resides.  After a morning of being on the go and then a quick lunch, I headed to the Small Gardens to recuperate!  As Queen, I could lounge to my heart's content and there was nobody to see me being lazy.  Taking a book of the shelf, a glass of iced lemonade and, of course, my camera, I made myself comfortable in the big wicker chair.   With my feet propped up, it was time to relax...but the birds were having no part of that!  I had forgotten to feed them!  That would not do so bird seed was fetched and scattered on the flat top benches.  Just as I neared the Pebble Creek, something made a swirl in the waters of Puddle Pond.  Whoa!  Those tadpoles must have gotten huge overnight!

  Nope, a critter was, in fact, dining on those tadpoles!  A small box turtle was scooting around the mud bottom as she snared the soft creatures.  Well, here was nature being nature again.  As much as I love my little frogs, there were far too many tadpoles in the tiny Puddle Pond.  If they were going to grow to maturity, a few had to be eliminated.  The turtle was just thinning the crop.  I watched her for a few moments then settled in with my book.  

  Five chapters later, the turtle decided to climb out and come for a visit. She wandered right up to my chair and stared at me for a good bit before attempting to climb the steps to the french doors!  With the first step just a couple of inches higher than the doormat, the turtle was able to hoist herself up but that second step was just too high.  I suppose I will never know just why she wanted to go up the steps because she then tumbled down under the open step.   After a bit, I noticed she was nestled in among the potted plants for the evening.  I hope this little one stays in the garden.  I have enjoyed her visit tremendously!

She Is Feeling Better!

  A little over a week ago, a longtime friend of Son's came to the Bayou.  We kept our "distancing" by staying outside.  I was running the weed trimmer and Son was repairing the lawnmowers.  Chris sat near the Frog Pond where he could still talk with Son.  Occasionally, I would stop to add my two cents worth to the conversation but mostly I buzzed away with the trimmer.  At one pause, Chris made mention that there was a turtle in the pond.  Ok, so there was nothing unusual about that other than the fact that turtles have a hard time climbing back out.  The sides of the little pond are steep and slippery.  In reality, I forgot about the turtle.

  Fast forward until today.  Yep, that turtle was still in the pond.  She was weary from swimming as the only place she could rest was on the waterlilies.  When I first saw her, she was skittish and went underwater but the second time, the small turtle came right up to my hand and allowed me to lift her from her predicament.  I was a hero!   I had just rescued a Bayou Friend! 

  After setting the turtle on the ground, she soon disappeared.  A bit later, a rustling in the leaves told me that the little one was hunting for food.  She obviously was starving!  Ok, second rescue time.  Since we were near the compost, I found a quick meal.  Fresh pineapple was on the menu!  Who knew that turtles love pineapple!  She immediately started ripping off pieces to eat.  Well, second course needed to be served. I am probably the only one who will go scrounging for food for a critter. Her next course was dewberries!  After a handful of those, the turtle needed a nap so she buried herself under the cool leaves and stayed put for nigh on two hours.  Later, she came back to munch a bit more pineapple and a bit of raw chicken liver.  

   Even though a lapse in memory left her in the pond longer than needed, the little box turtle seemed highly appreciative of the rescue and meals.

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.

 

Meet Virginia!

  Over the years, I have written a lot about the turtles and tortoises that roam the marshes, woods and creek bed.  It seems that the area is a favorite place for many different kinds.  Every type from snapping turtles to box turtles make their home here.  All this is good as the critters are some of the better ones to have around the place.  They eat a lot of things that would otherwise make the place not as comfortable.  They are not picky eaters for sure.  I have also written a lot about critter instincts and learned behaviors.  Our friendly turtles have both.  While some folks may make claims that "learned" behavior is pushing the limit when applying to turtles, I beg to differ.  They can and do learn.  It has been proven that turtles have long memories when it comes to feeding spots. They had to learn that spot before it could become a memory.

  Years ago, an elderly neighbor lady, Ms. Virginia, used to feed turtles that were in her yard.  She, too, lived near a bayou and had dozens of fine turtles.  Each morning, she would go to her back door to find many turtles had come to dine so she started buying containers of chicken livers to feed them.  She claimed that the livers were a favorite among the turtles but I never could quite understand how they might obtain those in the wild. Still, her turtle friends had learned to wait at the door until Ms. Virginia brought them breakfast.  After they ate, they would go on about their merry way until the next morning.  I was fortunate enough to "help" Ms. Virginia feed her turtles on several occasions when I was just a child.  It made a huge impression on me and was one of my lessons on respecting all critters.  

 My turtles, on the other hand, eat more fruit and veggies.  These are remnants from the garden and food preparation that are tossed into the compost pile.  Occasionally, there may be an odd piece of meat but, on a whole, the critters are on a vegetarian diet.  Among the several turtles that visit the compost on a daily basis, one is a nice sized box turtle.  This turtle has been around the Bayou for years and seems to appreciate the readily available foodstuffs that can be found in the compost.  Here recently, I have started calling it "Virginia" after the dear old lady from my childhood.  The idea behind this came from the fact that I recall that Ms. Virginia loved strawberries and this turtle seems to think that strawberries are a special treat.  While I am not too sure that Ms. Virginia would appreciate having a turtle named after her, I am quite sure that she would be pleased knowing that her lessons about respecting animals were remembered.

Mama Is Busy!

  Early this afternoon, the neighborhood watch sent up their alarm calls causing me to head outside barefoot in the drizzly rain.  If some predator was lurking too near the wren's nest or the new baby squirrels, I wanted to divert its attention.  Instead, it was my attention that was diverted.  About halfway down the hillside to where the marsh comes up near the wild persimmon tree, my foot found soft soil.  Well, that was different.  Looking down, I realized that I stepped into a small hole.  It was then that I noticed several other holes of the same size and pattern dug nearby.  Decoy holes!  

  Decoy holes are what I call the random bunch of holes that a mama cooter turtle will dig before she settles on the perfect site to lay her eggs. Sometimes up to a dozen holes will be dug and abandoned.  The abandonment can caused merely by an unsatisfactory soil condition such as too many roots or perhaps some debris (glass) left over from a hurricane or can be the result of the turtle being disrupted while digging.  The extra holes can also be a ploy to protect her eggs from predators.  Whatever the case, Mama Turtle digs several holes before finally laying her eggs. 

  Since the neighborhood watch of blue jays was in the old oak tree overhanging the marsh, the ruckus was soon forgotten.  Instead, I searched for Mama Turtle.  It was not long before I found her beneath the mimosa tree. She seemed to be content with her latest hole as she was in the midst of depositing eggs there. Not wanting to disturb her, I kept my distance and let her do her egg-laying duty in peace.  The future generation of Bayou Turtles depend on these stoic ladies and their ploy of diverting predators and I sure did not wish for her to think I was one!

Disturbing the Process of Things

  With the sirens blasting their tornado warning, rain threatening to pelt down from the sky and lightning bouncing about the hillside, old Mr. PJ decided he absolutely NEEDED to go outside.  Ummm, no.  Not happening at the moment.  Sorry, my friend, but you will just have to hold it or go by yourself (which is also a no-go since he has started roaming).  The weather seems to play a huge part in the old dog's dealings with pain.  Arthritis is one of those things that seems worse at night and during inclement weather.  I can fully commiserate with PJ as my own bout of the evil stuff is flaring its ugly head.  So, we waited.

  Once the sirens and lightning stopped and before the torrential rains started, he and I made our way down along the marsh edge.  He did his business and I meandered around looking at the wildflowers.  As I edged close to a clump of palmettos, a slight rustling drew my attention.  Ok, so did my ambling alarm a bird?  A snake?  Or what?  Peering into the fronds, I found my answer.  A quite large box turtle peered back at me.  She seemed to be a bit antsy even though I backed away.  Pondering the turtle, it became clear about her "situation".  Most likely, this turtle was gravid and seeking a place to dig her nest site.  She wanted no onlookers at this point and my bumbling along probably upset her a bit.  

  By this time, the old dog had finished his business and the raindrops started to fall.  It was best that he and I head to the Little Bayou House....and quickly!  Tonight, the storms are raging.  High winds, torrential rains and lots of lightning.  The Bayou is rocking!  I hope Mama Turtle finds some shelter from the storm to lay her eggs in peace.

Yeah, I'm Watching You

  Early this afternoon, I headed to the pier to check the crab traps.  Lately, we cannot seem to catch crabs since the are several other denizens of the Bayou that wish to eat our bait.  The otters go into the trap, undo the bait boxes and then steal the bait.  Other than being a thief, they are just considered to be a nuisance.  Alligators rip the entire crab trap to pieces, steal the bait then eat the crabs as well.  Then there are the snapping turtles.  Those rascals tear open the traps, bend the wire in a thousand directions, steal the bait and then have the nerve to sit on top of the smashed up trap as if to say "Hey, I did a good job!"  Nope, you did terrible!

  As I stepped onto the pier, a blotch of green under the water caught my eye.  An algae covered snapping turtle was stalking the bull minnows that were swimming about in the shallows.  It stayed motionless inches beneath the water's surface.  The minnows either are not too smart or have very short memories because just a few minutes after the turtle would snap up a minnow, the remainder of the school would come right back to the same spot.  SNAP!  The turtle had another tidbit.

  I watched the turtle for a good while as it fished.  The turtle saw me but made no effort to retreat beneath the mud. It was on a mission and was not going to give up quickly.  The turtle did, however, poke its head above water to eye me for a couple of minutes.  Then, it slowly sank back beneath the surface to continue its fishing.  At least this turtle is not bothering my crab traps!

Mother Nature to the Rescue!

  Sometimes things happen in real life that almost seem too weird.  Or, perhaps things happen all of the time and I just notice them more than most folks.  Anyway, some pretty strange things occur here on the Bayou that just about defy explanation.  Maybe there is no explanation. Maybe I should not look for any and just accept things as they are....bizarre or not.

  Years ago, Mom gave me a little terracotta turtle to stick in the garden. It was a cute little rascal until the weather took its toll on the exterior.  I kept the thing even though it was starting to resemble a zombie turtle with its flaky exterior and decaying head.  I did not have the heart to toss it.  After all, Mom bought it for me.  So, the turtle sat in the garden getting more ragged by the day.

My turtle with his new "head".  Good job, Mother Nature!

  One day, I was out raking leaves when I noticed that the turtle had a new head!  Now, terracotta turtles do not just "get" new heads! Something unusual was going on in the garden!  Stepping up to examine the thing, I had to start giggling.  An oak leaf had fallen in the exact spot to replace the long gone noggin!  The placement of the new "leaf" head was odd enough but this leaf was the perfect shape for a head AND had a mouth and eye!  My turtle never looked so good!  

  How this leaf fell in the precise position is a mystery.  How this leaf happened to have a tear right where a mouth should be is most unusual.  How a bug gnawed a hole just the right shape and size for an eye is beyond believable.  But these things did happen.  My turtle lives on to see another day!  At least as long as the leaf stays put!  Mother Nature did a fine job of repairing my turtle!

My "Flower Child" Turtle!

  It is not uncommon to find turtles and tortoises around the Bayou.  I could probably be safe in saying that it would be most rare if there were none.  I would, indeed, be a bit perplexed by their absence.  Still, it is always fun to find a "glamorous" turtle here!  Terrapins are usually highly decorated creatures with their "diamond" patterns and pond sliders are brightly colored but the turtle in question puts these guys to shame!  This, my friends, is the most bedazzled turtle that I have ever seen!  

  My sweet niece and her husband, Eva and Erik, came by to see me this morning.  I had promised them some plants for their yard and these two are always quite prompt about coming.  On arrival, Eva handed me a large gift bag..."This is nothing really.  Just think of it as a "thinking of you", Valentine and early birthday gift!"  Ok, that did it!  Eva and Erik always manage to blow me over with their kindness but it is the uniqueness of their gifts that touch the heart.  I took the bag and peeped inside.  There, looking back at me, was a turtle!  A large turtle covered with all sorts of beads and flowers!  Well....a hippy turtle!  This, dear readers, was a flower-child turtle if I ever saw one!  I fell in love!

  My friendly turtle shall reside in the greenhouse tucked in among the plants.  I have high hopes of spending the next few weeks making the little building a showplace and this little guy will definitely do his part. What a wonderfully quirky gift from two of my favorite people!  Love you, Eva and Erik!  Thank you!

Zig-zaggy Tracks!

Some days were just not made for outside work...outside play, now that is a different story! It was another grey, drizzly day here on the Bayou. The sun only made an appearance for about two minutes before it was completely engulfed by the thick cloud cover. In all fairness, I suppose garden work could have been done but it was far more fun to use the rain as an excuse to idle away the day. I piddled around inside just long enough to say "I accomplished something!", then I headed for my walk. Once on the pier, I noticed some odd tracks in the mud. One was a wide, smooth sliding track. I recognized this as the path of an otter as it slid along the soft mud. I suppose it is just a lot easier to slide on one's belly than it would be to walk in that muck! The path followed the usual path that the otters take when heading from the main bayou area to the small tidepools and mudflats. In the tidepools left behind during low tide, hundreds of little mullet and minnows are trapped. The otters will come in and feast on the easy pickings! Sometimes there are just so many little fish in such an little pond, that the otters will over-catch. I have seen times when the extra little fish were laid up on the mudflats but not eaten. Neat little rows of fish were left possibly for a later snack. Inevitably though, the shorebirds snatched them up before the otters return! A feast for all involved!

The other track confused me a bit. It was a long sliding track like the otter slide but was more zig-zaggy. It resembled a zipper track or the tire marks of some strange but tiny vehicle! I pondered the indentations..what could make such an unusual track? Whatever had gone through the area had come down the same cut in the marsh that the otter had and by the looks of it, not long after the otter. The track had me stumped! I started looking around the marsh..perhaps whatever made the track was still nearby!

Just beyond the edge of the pier, a lone Night Heron stared at me as I stared at him. "Did you make these unusual tracks?" I thought of asking. The bird was standing in about three inches of water so there was not following its tracks!

Just a bit further down the shoreline, another bird! This time, a large Snowy Egret waded in the shallows. "Did you make these unusual tracks?" The thought crossed my mind again. I thought of the two birds that I had just seen. Surely, they do not make tracks like that zig-zaggy thing. Their legs are too long and their toes too pointy!

A bit further down the shore, a pair of Mottled Ducks padded softly on the mud. Ahh..now we were getting somewhere! Their wide, webbed feet do leave large tracks! I, also, noticed that their fat "bottoms" were dragging as their feet sank in the soft mud. "Did you make these unusual tracks?" Hmmmmm??

As I sat pondering the possibility of the Mottled Duck tracks, I heard a slight rustling behind me. I slowly turned to venture a look. "Aha! Perhaps you! Did you make these unusual tracks?" The raccoon just stared at me as if I was a bit daft and carried on with its quest of breakfast!

Out in the marsh, I could see a turtle trying to catch any smidgen of sun that could warm its back. Now I might be onto something! The wide track and splayed out steps could have come from this guy! "Did you make these unusual tracks?" Nary an answer crossed his lips..or none would have if a turtle had lips. He said nothing.

I was perplexed to say the least! I was getting nowhere fast! The mist was getting heavier causing droplets to form on my hair. My light jacket felt damp to the touch and I was starting to be chilled.The tracks would disappear with the rising tide and I still had no answer. Ahh! What an enigma! A conundrum! A riddle! This would have to be solved at another time...but now, I was heading back to the Little Bayou House before I was soaked to the bone!

I've got friends in low places.....

My goodness, today was beautiful! So beautiful, in fact, that I just could not stay inside and do housework! The gardens were calling my name and I yielded to the whim to escape to the fresh air and sunshine! On the agenda today.....clean out the little pond in the backyard, fertilize the fruit trees and attempt to design the herb garden. Yep, there was a lot going on today! I asked Son which he would like to do..as if I did not already know which he did NOT want to tackle. He opted to fertilize the trees..rats..I knew he would never choose the pond! Well..I donned the oldest shoes and jeans that I own and set to work. This is never a really difficult job, it is more or less just a smelly job. I have a pump that siphons all of the water in just a short time so that makes life a lot easier. The smelly part comes from the rotted leaves and plant matter that has settled in the bottom over the winter months. I never clean the pond during the cold months so that the turtles and frogs will have enough warmth to survive. There are always several of each that hide in among the Water Lilies and Duck Potatoes. Here they have protection from the raccoons and the rotted vegetation gives them a nice hibernation spot. Today though, I never thought about the frogs or turtles ..I was a woman on a mission! I wanted the pond clean and nice smelling for the Spring! It was time to catch a few of the bull minnows from the Bayou to restock this little pond. I always toss a few minnows in for the duration of the summer merely to eat the mosquito larvae. They do well in the isolated pond since there are few predators nearby. Later, in the Fall, I release them back into the Bayou so they will not perish if the pond freezes. But for today, I just needed to remove the nasty debris in the bottom.

I gathered my tools and set the pump in action. With the garden rake, I fished out the large clumps of Water Lilies and set them to the side. They would be replaced as soon as I refilled the pond. Next, I lifted out the large pots of Duck Potatoes..OH GEEZ! Those were heavy! I had forgotten that I put rocks in the bottom to weight the pots...UGH! Now for the stinkies! No nice, neat way of doing this..I guess..so I just rolled up the sleeves and started. Handfuls of yuck were thrown out onto a pile. Oooey-goooey, nasty yuck!!!! Hey...did you know that there are worms that can live under water in the goop in the bottom of a pond???? I found them...not happy.... I continued...grab ...heave....slop.... gasp!!!! This stuff is the proverbial pond scum only worse! I was digging in sludge...I was mucking about in mire...I was EEEEEEEKKK!!!!!! Something started squirming about in the handful of junk that I was holding! Visions of anacondas ...alligators ...crocodiles... raced through my mind! I was going to be eaten alive! Not really..but it did startle me a bit! I tossed the handful onto the ever-growing pile and peered at the smelly mess. Then I spied the wiggly varmint! I have friends in low places.. all the way down in the bottom of the pond!

A Leopard Frog! This small frog peered back at me from among the leaves and slime. He appeared to be still quite groggy or at least maybe lethargic from the coolness of the morning. I thought.. "So.. my fine, froggy friend.. you are the ricocheting reptile that tried to scare the bejeebies out of me!" He stared at me with unblinking eyes. I think he was a mite miffed at me for disturbing his nap but I tried to convince him it would be ok.. "I am just cleaning up a bit..don't mind me..go on about your nap!" I said cheerfully. He stared at me as if to say.."I liked my house the way it was! LEAVE NOW!" I might be glad that frogs cannot talk! I finished cleaning the gunk out of the bottom of the pond.. replaced the plants ..added a few pieces of driftwood and started the refilling process. Mr. Frog never left his spot on the rubbish pile.. he just sat and stared (or glared) at me. After a couple of hours, the sunshine warmed the water enough that I figured he would be ok and since I needed to haul off the lovely pile of goo..I tossed my friend back into the pond. He seemed quite contented to swim around exploring the new arrangement.