Last night's conversation turned to Sparky, our now "living free and large" turtle. We miss him. You might think that a turtle is a turtle is a turtle, but I'm here to tell you, Sparky had a personality. We found him to be (along with our cats) funny and cheap entertainment.
We never planned on keeping him after rescuing him from a swimming pool. And when we found him looking longingly out the front window where his aquarium was, we knew where he really wanted to be.
So on a warm June afternoon, with granddaughters Chloe and Phoebe, we took Sparky about a half mile from our home to a beautiful pond. Spotting many Eastern Painted Turtles with heads popped out of the water, we knew Sparky would be happy, and feel right at home.
We said our goodbyes, and sadly released him knowing it was the right thing to do.
The odds of a turtle surviving the first year are 1 in 100. The odds of a turtle living after its first year are 100 to one. He's a lucky guy, and I bet he knows it.
What a sweet story ~ and Chloe and Phoebe are beautiful. I see a children's book in your future.
Posted by: linda | January 29, 2013 at 08:11 PM
Funny you should mention a children's book. Nick told me I should get started on one about Sparky!
Posted by: June | January 30, 2013 at 08:18 AM