A fascinating opportunity

Yesterday, as is our custom, my husband and I took a walk during his lunch hour. We have a “loop” that we usually walk. If the weather is good and we have time, we try to walk this two-mile loop. Yesterday we might have been able to do so, but -- something sidetracked us!

Our route takes us over a little bridge spanning a brook. As we neared the bridge, we noticed something small and dark in the road, near the edge of the pavement. It was a baby turtle! Not only that, but it was still covered with sand, so we knew it had only recently emerged from its nest. Neither of us will ever forget the time a few years ago when we saw many dead baby turtles flattened in the road by passing cars, so my husband gently picked this one up and moved it out of the road. He pointed it toward the brook, and it began to amble off in that direction. That’s when we noticed three more little turtles in the roadside gravel. And then -- we noticed the hole in the sand where yet another baby was emerging into the daylight. It was simply incredible. As we watched, more little turtles came out. It was funny to watch as three tried to exit the nest at once. The topmost turtle was taking his time, looking all around and not hurrying, but the ones underneath were nudging him and pushing on his shell as if to hurry him on.

I ran home (or, more accurately, walked very fast) and got the camera while my hubby stayed there and stood guard -- they wouldn’t come out of the hole when he was standing close to it. He saw several already tumbling down toward the brook. We counted at least ten little turtles in all. We got some great pictures. I only wish Photobucket would let me post some. It is truly amazing to look at these pictures and see the detail in these miniature turtles. What an awesome Creator designed them! We were so blessed to have been in just the right place and at just the right time to observe this little miracle.