Future PETA Member?

Yesterday the kids spent almost all of their waking hours trying to catch turtles. The weather was warm and there were a few turtles sunning themselves in logs in the water right near the dock down by the lake. The boys used nets to try and scoop them up, but they were either too slow or too loud to get close to any turtles.

Finally John fashioned a net onto a really long pole and caught the boys a big turtle right in front of the house. Then they put it into a big bucket and the kids were fascinated watching it and talking to it for hours.

Later the kids saw a little tiny turtle sunning itself. It was about the size of a silver dollar coin and they wanted to see a "baby turtle". So, John worked at it until he finally caught the baby turtle too. But we decided that we should put the baby turtle into a separate bucket from the big turtle just in case they didn't get along.

The kids added water and rocks and sticks to the buckets and encouraged the turtles to test out their new living arrangements. We told the boys that they can keep anything that they catch for 24 hours and then we have to let them go. They were so excited to feed their turtles and play with them it was unreal.

Then we got out the jet ski and the kids all went on rides and were distracted with that excitement so the turtles took a backseat for a few hours (trust me the turtles were probably thrilled). While the jet ski excitement was happening I noticed that Shane was holding one of the rocks from the turtle buckets in his hand and was just about to throw it into the lake when I stopped him. I told him to put the rock back into the turtle bucket. The other boys came running over right about then and started screaming "where is the baby turtle? he's gone! where did he go?". Then we all looked at Shane and I said "Did you throw the baby turtle back into the lake?" and he smiled and said "yes!" Holy cow the other kids were so upset they cried and cried!

Shane walked around as proud as a peacock that he had caused such a scene! The adults couldn't stop laughing! And all that we heard for the rest of the day was "Shane, don't throw our turtle in the water again! That wasn't very nice!" And Shane replied with a yell and a near-miss swat anyone that told him that! Apparently that kid doesn't support turtles in captivity! Who knew!?!?!?