Turtle Trawl

It was a quiet day in the neighborhood - until I took the trash out to the curb for early morning Monday pick-up. For whatever reason the noisy trash tuck starts pick-up about 3AM. Unless one lives in a sound proof dungeon there is NO getting away from the noise. It roars and clanks until everyone is awake and out of bed. It must be a law that all garbage trucks make mega noise and start in the wee hours of the morning. Okay a little off track on this thought but that is why I was out front.

I looked across the street and there was a red truck parked in the road. And something was moving beneath the red truck. I watched. It was a slow mover. Then I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me again. I stood by the trash cans and squinted. Intrigue got the best of me. I headed down the cul-de-sac.

Just then at that very moment the guy with the fifth wheeler was pulling up behind the little red truck. By this time I was thinking the object under the red truck was a tortoise. Occasionally they end up touring our street.

So I start out a a fast pace toward the fifth wheeler. He pulls up tight to the little red truck and the object freezes.

I crawl under the truck and it is not a tortoise but a red eared slider. Mr. Smith grabs his work gloves and rescues the slider from beneath the little red truck. HHHMMM - red eared sliders are water turtles and the only water around here is in my pool and turtle ponds. I take the pathetic looking guy home.

What I don't need is another water turtle.What to do with him is the next question? Too many red eared sliders are released into the wilds of Florida. This guy is pretty big so I assume he has not been someones pet for a very long time.