Gentle, woodland creatures, Part deux.

  Happy yet?

  Doing the snapping turtle flip in shallow water.

  The classic "log" pose.

  Neck full of leeches.

  Before I get into the double wet, hairy, beavers, I need to post about another charming woodland resident who was less than charmed to be photographed.  

  I don't quite understand the attitude.  I come in peace for all mankind.  For all she knows I could work for National Geographic and this could be the start of a Big Gig.

  But no.  She had to channel her inner dinosaur.

  Southern Snapping Turtle up the side stream.  Unable to escape the keen eye and senses of homo photographicus.  Happy, happy, happy.

Update:  A Southern Snapper, not an Alligator Snapper.  (no ridged back)  Male or female I have no idea.  Will be able to recognize in the future due to hole in the edge of shell on the back.

Update II:  Dallas Morning News story this morning about turtle trapping and selling.  Several mistakes in it, but better than nothing.

Gentle, woodland creatures.

  Game on.

  Professional at work.

  Dogwood in the treeline.

  I'm a busy man.  Busy, busy, busy!  So I roused myself from the couch and went out to replace the beavercam and entice Dutch web surfers to bite on keywords like: Wet, Hot, Young, Hairy, Beavers, and run up my hit count.  While I was out there I shot some pixels in color using my Nikon D300, not just the Deardorff 5X7, (a manly camera!).  Up near some dogwoods I was channelling Eliot Porter when I realized.....I wasn't alone.

  Coons.  Not like I don't deserve them.  He walked up from nowhere and tried to join in.  Now, I work alone.  I GOT this.  Thanks, but check next door.  I gave at the office.  All that.  This coon seemed to want to climb into my pocket.  Followed me like a bad reputation.

  Somebody, (and thank God for 12 year olds with small arms) had zapped him with a kill shot using an insufficient caliber.  He had a scratched-out wound high behind the shoulder on one side.  You would think that would make him LESS likely to seek out human company, not more but there he was.  Bugging me.  He didn't seem to be in distress from the wound, walked OK, but now and then would suffer a neurological...event.  Teeth clenching, shaking, eye rolling, drooling.

  I started to apply a little John Browning with the truck pistol but then thought:  This is a job for PROFESSIONALS!  I'll call the police!  So I did.  By then the coon had me walking in 30 foot circles next to the highway.  After 10 minutes I called 911 back and added "Help!  Help!" just to get their blood up.  A minute later an officer drove up- a tall blonde woman officer who pulled her asp and called Animal Control.  I let the coon follow her for a while and went back to my camera.

  Animal control sent another woman, (where are men on the weekends?), who caged up the animal in nothing flat.  

  Each day in life is a thrilling adventure....or nothing at all.  Or coons.

  Thank goodness for professionals!

Update:  Beavercam up and rolling tonight on the Beaver dam.  They ought to be ready to start fixing holes.