We made the tough decision that Bogey Fairway Turtle needed to live somewhere more comfortable than a bowl in our house. He needed to be free! So, Abigail and I put him in a cup and proceeded to the nearest "perfect place," a little stream by a park on Trail Lake Drive.
Here's a picture of Bogey's new home -- idyllic for a turtle, right?
I'm instructing Abigail to "just walk down those big rocks to the water's edge" and set Bogey down at the edge of the stream. As she steps down on the first rock, she says, "Oh, look! A big snake!"
"There's no snake down there. It's probably a piece of rope or something," I reply. (Clearly not realizing that snakes are now coming out of hibernation due to the warmer weather. Idiot!)
"No, he's pretty big and he's alive. I'm going to get a closer picture of him," she responded.
I walked around to try and get a better look, when "WHOA! Back up, Abigail! Get away from that thing! It looks like a water moccasin," said me, starting to hyperventilate.
Here's where I should explain that I despise snakes, and Abigail, who could not possibly be related to me by birth, is fascinated by them. "Does he have a pointy head?" I quiver. Quick! Remember the rule of poisonous snakes. Don't the poisonous ones have pointy heads? (I know...pointy is not the right word choice here, but I was in slight freaked out mode.
She leans closer to get a better look, laughing at me, shaking from four feet away. "Yea, it looks like it might be (rolling eyes) pointy."
You can see the 'pointy' head between the rocks in the top left of this picture. Ugh!
And, just in case you weren't sure, here's a closer view.
(as he slithers over the rocks....shudder)
I suggested we go a little ways down the stream to release Bogey Turtle -- somewhere with less rocks hiding fang-dripping poisonous creatures. I didn't want to send him off to immediate death by snake.
Here he is, swimming away to freedom.
Here are some of Bogey's friendly new neighbors.
We hope Bogey has a nice, long happy life. And, please don't respond to this by saying that the snake pictured above is a perfectly harmless, common, everyday "something or other." They are all deadly to me!
6 comments:
Oh darn. I was hoping to meet Bogey Fairway. Oh well. And I think the poisonous snake rule is a triangular (and triangles are pointy) head with the back of the jaw wider than its body ("the better to eat you with", I guess). I can't get a good angle from the picture, but it appears that might be a triangular head. Close enough that I'd not go anywhere near it. Crazy Abigail!
It wasn't that big! It was only about three or four feet long... : )
- Abigail
But a six inch poisonous snake can kill a man, Abigail!
It's the poison we're taking issue with, not the size. Well, actually it's the whole snake thing too, but...
I am in complete agreement with you on snakes. I cannot stand them! This week I was at Sharon's and of course they have a "pet" snake. Now grant it he was only about six inches long but the kids were playing with him and trying to get me to. I informed them I REALLY DO NOT LIKE SNAKES. They thought it was comical, but a woman has to draw the line somewhere!
Ugh! I wouldn't have gone anywhere near him either, even to take a photo (crazy Abigail!). And I must say I find it ironic that Abigail is terrified of cockroaches, even dead ones, but will get close to a pointy-headed snake to take a picture. Where did that child come from?!
As for Bogey Fairway, I'm sad to see him go, but he looks happy to return to the wild. I know you're happy too. :)
Abigail, are you sure that you are kin to me and your mother? That is absolutely a Water Moccasin which can strike from 4 feet and kill you!
If you think that you like snakes, just think about the serpent in the Garden of Eden who was made to crawl on his belly all the days of his life. That is one of the reason I HATE SNAKES! I kill all snakes...even those with oval heads. I will beat them until they have a triangle head and then am sure they were poisonous after all. You must take after your great grandfather who as a boy use to catch snakes and put them in a bag that hung around his neck; Water Moccasins, Coral snakes and Rattle snakes. When he was an older man he became wiser and decided that he hated snakes! He said that he could even smell a snake when it was close...GROSS!
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