My Funky Friday Find
The stress is really getting to me. I sat down to write this morning (Friday - this didn't get written until close to midnight so is posted Sat.), after driving the kids to school for the second time this week, and took stock of what I thought the day would be like.
I won't bore you with the details of my terrible start to the day, the lack of progress that ensued, and the huge funk that I was in. I will just share with you what made me think my stress and grump was all slightly silly.
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| Lady J discovered a small creature, North Carolina's only land turtle |
I had to at least get a walk in. I didn't want that failure to add to the beating I was giving myself. So my ever willing companion, Lady J, and I started down the driveway. She ran ahead of me a bit and found this Eastern Box Turtle!It is the third one we have seen on this property.
The first one we found last fall, and it had a beautiful shell.
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| First found turtle, last fall. |
The second we found in the spring, and this one also had a beautiful shell, and was a bit larger than the first.
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| Second Turtle found, found in spring |
He even was brave enough to take a small peek and see what was going on.
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| Second turtle taking a little peek, look closely |
The third one, found today by our lovely tracker Lady J, was special in her own way. It was a bit smaller, had a lovely shell, but seemed to have encountered some bad days of her own.
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| Third turtle, found today, special in her own way |
You see the chunk out of her shell? It is where her head comes out. And then when turned over, you can see some damage near where her back feet come out.
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| Third turtle, with some holes in her protection |
And there is a small nick right at the bottom too. This poor thing has been pretty beat up. Hubby thinks it may have been a dog that tried to pick it up, or even a raccoon, but luckily this turtle can completely close its shell. This one was able to protect itself, wait until the threat was gone, and then go about her business. Amazing.
The Eastern Box Turtle is the state reptile of North Carolina, so it's pretty cool we have come across 3 of them in the year that we have been here. And this one, extra special, has a special effect on me. Quite a chunk missing there.
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| Poor little turtle, that is quite a chunk missing! |
This creature made me stop, observe, and left me amazed. It gave me a completely new perspective for my day.
WHY is the state reptile?
The turtle watches undisturbed as countless generations of faster "hares" run by to quick oblivion, and is thus a model of patience for mankind, and a symbol of our State’s unrelenting pursuit of great and lofty goals.
I may not have great and lofty goals, but I now feel okay for taking the time that I obviously need to achieve my own large goals. I just need to remember to have patience, and continue on going about my business.
A perfect Funky Friday Find.
Love it! Just keep on keepin' on! That's my motto...
ReplyDeleteI had a rough afternoon that continued into the evening. Must have been in the stars yesterday for some people. But I too found something to gain perspective. I think finding that one thing, and being able to appreciate it and shift gears says a lot for a character.
ReplyDeleteWhoever said it first is a genius...patience is a virtue. It does come and go but is a cornerstone of a good life. Glad you found some, like the turtle!
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to remember the 'patience' part, and even the 'keep going' part, especially on a tough day. But the alternative is nowhere hear as pleasant. :)
ReplyDeleteI have had a rough week as well, stiff and aching (fibromyalgia!) and limited to what I have been able to achieve. This made me feel like, "slow and steady" is going to be ok.
ReplyDeleteI may not "win" any prizes for how clean my house is all the time but my family is fed and the laundry is done!
Thanks for this reminder!
I love it when the simple things in life can teach us huge lessons. I think we would all be better off if we lived a bit more like the turtles and less like the hares.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder. I needed to read this today.
Kim
Gerushia's New World