Ellen to the Rescue!

This morning I helped an enormous snapper cross the road. (You never have a camera around when you need one.)

I could see her lumbering across the road from a few hundred feet away - she was that big. As soon as I stopped the car, however, she stopped moving - not a good sign. I didn't have my shovel in the car, so I had to improvise. I grabbed the window scraper (luckily with a long handle) and tried to coax her to the roadside. She was having no part of it. She turned to face me and continually struck out. The speed at which these animals can strike is stunning! She refused to budge.

So, I scoured the back of the car for a Plan B. Found a box. I put the box in front of her and tried to push her across the pavement. She opted to crawl into the box (sort of). With her head safely out of range and surrounded by cardboard, I grabbed the flap of the box and tugged her to the grassy verge. Getting her out of the box now became the challenge. I finally had to upend the box, and there she lay, the proverbial turtle on her back. I went back for the window scraper and flipped her back upright.

I lucked out: only two other vehicles passed during this time. The first was a commuter/tourist in the other lane, who slowed down, stared, and drove on . The other zoomed up behind my car and turned out to be the educator from next door - he gave me the thumbs up for helping a turtle and zoomed around me towards the office. I was very lucky no log trucks came by (considering I had several pass me earlier in the morning).

Well, I've done my good deed for the day! I guess I can go home now. :D