Some of you are aware of my compact turtle shrine at the top of a set of stairs in our home. I pass it several times a day and it serves as a reminder not only of the reptiles but of Creator and Creation -- Turtle Island for some Indigenous cultures. The latest addition is a crocheted turtle created by our nin-year-old granddaughter.
This morning we were out for a cycle along the Belleville waterfront, about 20 kilometres return trip, and on way we encountered three snapping turtles either scouting for a nest area or in the act of laying eggs. There were a couple more in the appropriately named Turtle Pond. When we went to a kayak launch site on the Moira River north of Belleville, on Tuesday, there was another snapper doing its reproductive thing.
We are in awe of way this unfolds. One day we're wondering why we haven't seen turtles laying eggs yet. Then they group text and get digging. I am endlessly grateful to live in an area where we see map and blanding and painted and snapping turtles. Amphibians and reptiles are canaries in the ecosystem, to mix species. This means that our waterways are healthy enough to sustain them, so for this I thank the Creator. We really do need a turtle hymn of praise!
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