This summer we've spent several weekends up at the cabin. Ainsley loves animals of all kinds.
She loves to go to the cabin and find worms and salamanders, crayfish and catapillers, frogs and toads, and fish.... lots of fish. This last visit she and MacGregor found a toad under the merry-go-round. Around the same time I found a frog in the creek but he was a quick little booger. I was chasing him to no avail. I called Daniel to help me and we each took one side of the creek. After hiding behind rocks and in little mud clouds, he was finally caught. The kids already had a bucket containing crayfish and minnows that they caught in the creek. We added our two new friends. We had fun looking at the differences between the frog and toad.... brown vs green, bumpy vs slimy etc... Ainsley was having a ball except that we were all worried she would squish them to death because she had such a death grip on the poor little things. Everyone was excited to get their pictures with them.
As we exited the cars after arriving to the cabin in May with Aaron and Christine, we saw a large snapping 
turtle sitting in the grass. I had heard rumors of snappers being in this pond but in the 7 years the family has owned the property, I had never seen one. Daniel was ready to go find a gun and kill it but I said "Honey just go get the shovel and we'll trap him and move him, He can't be very fast" You know you grow up learning how SLOW turtles are. Well as Daniel started moving toward the grass that turtle started shuffling toward the water - And as it turned out there were two turtles - one on top of the other - (and you know what that means, there will probably be more turtles soon) Those turtles totally beat Daniel to the water and I had no idea how fast snappers could move.
turtle sitting in the grass. I had heard rumors of snappers being in this pond but in the 7 years the family has owned the property, I had never seen one. Daniel was ready to go find a gun and kill it but I said "Honey just go get the shovel and we'll trap him and move him, He can't be very fast" You know you grow up learning how SLOW turtles are. Well as Daniel started moving toward the grass that turtle started shuffling toward the water - And as it turned out there were two turtles - one on top of the other - (and you know what that means, there will probably be more turtles soon) Those turtles totally beat Daniel to the water and I had no idea how fast snappers could move. 
Well - Memorial Day weekend during our mini family reunion, my brother Brian caught one of those snappers by the tail. I couldn't believe it. He was a biggie! All the kids got to come take a look. They put him in an empty trash can for safe viewing. After we got pictures and everyone had a chance to see him the poor guy met his demise with a 22 rifle. You just don't mess with the fish population of Lake Redgate or you will be disposed of. Don't believe me? Ask the poor beaver, although I will not be showing any photos of him because I only have after pics.
3 comments:
Brian is crazy picking that thing up by his tail! I would have been WAYYYY too scared. Anyway, the pictures with the frog and toad are totally adorable. Isn't the outdoors just wonderful. We can't wait until Quinn can go camping and on hikes with us. (too hard to push stroller and she hates the carrier/backpack right now)
I wouldn't have picked that thing up either! When Brittany was about 3 or 4, we were going to church with my mom and older sister. On the way home, mom saw a turtle on the side of the road and turned around to get him. Well, I'm the one who's always done the bugs and critters in the family so I was dispatched from the car to catch Mom's "little" turtle. As I walked toward the edge of the ditch where the turtle was hiding and reached down to pick him up, he raised his "little" head and snapped at me. Only being quick and pulling my hand back preserved my digits from becoming turtle food. I then pick up a stick to try to scare him back into his shell so I could try once more to pick him up. He completely snapped the first 8" or so off the stick at which point, I tossed the remaining stick aside, admitted defeat and returned to the family car. Mom harrassed me for days about being afraid of that "little" turtle whose head was bigger around than my fist. Um, yeah. Sure, I am afraid and I prefer to keep my fingers attached to the ends of my hands, thank you very much! :) Glad yall have had so much fun at the cabin.
what yummy treats! I am sooo looking forward to Emma and her siblings bringing me back their finds... cause you know how much I love little critters :o)
Post a Comment