Well, this certainly wasn’t anything I was expecting to see upon coming home this afternoon.
bear witness to the journey
Poor little thing must have traversed earlier today rather hot asphalt, then it had to crawl-fall-bang down nine stairs to the bottom level of the condo … then continue, continue on to the lowest point … to the lake nearby at the bottom of the hill behind my condo.
Alas, my front door stopped it and it could go no further. I scooped it up in a plastic container, scanned the nearby parking lot for any of its siblings (none found) and took it down by the lake for its final journey.
I walked around the row of condo buildings, down the hill, crossed over the pedestrian path that loops around the lake and placed it in the cool ferns and wet leaves in a swampy-ish wet area about 10 feet from the lake’s edge.
the hero returns
I figured it worked hard enough already crossing the hot-hot-hot and long parking lot, tumbling down nine concrete steps, traversing my.condo cement patio and huddling for who knows how long–without food or water. And while I’m making an assumption, I kinda figured it might want to walk the last bit or so or moist land to its new home in the lake just beyond.
psa from all turtles all places all times
If you see a turtle crossing a path or road or whatever, and if you want to intervene, ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS move the turtle in the same direction it was already going.