...And Jack Hannah wasn't even here!

This is the great big (but not for a Snapper, actually) turtle that tried to bite Tori yesterday.





And this is the not so big garter snake that did.

Did you know garter snakes have a nasty musk that they release prior to striking? Apparently neither did stinky, punctured Tori. No harm done, a garter snake's toxin is far too mild to cause anything more than an itch in even little humans, but the smell! It lingers...

The Snapper was on the street, up at the end of our lane, and she'd been hit at least once (see the bleeding scrape on the carapace?) A neighbour driving by noticed her and picked her up and put her on the grass, just about sacrificing a finger in the process. She might have been grazed, but she was plenty feisty. His wife, Eileen, came down and suggested maybe Daniel keep his scootering and biking down at this end of the lane for a while. I didn't want to take the chance that Myrtle might head back into traffic, so I emptied the wheelbarrow (I'd been weeding,) grabbed a flat ended shovel as a little extra persuasion, called the kids and went to rescue the turtle. She was not so interested in a wheelbarrow ride, thankyouverymuch, and hissed and snapped at everything and everyone. Exciting! We moved her to the the woods, uphill from the brook she probably lives in, and tipped her out. If I ever see her again, I seriously hope it's not on the road - a 30lb turtle, sharp claws and snappy beak notwithstanding doesn't stand much of a chance against the big rigs that pass here all day and night.

And the snake? Scott was cutting the grass, snake slithered up a tree to get out of the way, Tori wanted to offer Daniel a closer look and got tagged for the effort.

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