What Aaron Found In The Creek ( And Greg Wrestled Out )

Aaron likes exploring the creek by our house, and usually catches frogs, toads, and small fish in his net. Aaron went to the creek today, and took Greg's cell phone with him. He calls me a few minutes later, asking me to come down to the creek to see a turtle. I was busy at the time, so I asked him to take a picture of it with the phone, which he said he would do. He calls back 5 minutes later, asking for me to please send Dad down to the creek. I told him I would be there in a minute, and he told me that he needed Dad, and he was also sounding a bit excited about the turtle. So I asked Greg to go and check on him. A few minutes later, Greg and Aaron come into the house with a 5 gallon bucket and tell me that they have something that I have to see. I look in, a bit hesitant mind you, and see the biggest snapping turtle I have ever seen. Aaron found it in the creek and it went into the tunnel that goes under our road. When Greg got there, all he could see was a glob of mud in the tunnel, and thought Aaron must have been mistaken about what he saw. Until he poked the glob of mud with a net and it moved! So, he wrestled it into the bucket and brought it home! We hosed it off and measured it at about 13 inches long, and that was with the turtle not fully out of it's shell. Greg gave the turtle 2 sticks to see how it would react, and it quickly snapped both sticks in half! I am so glad that it wasn't one of our fingers! Ouch!!! After keeping it here for awhile, my guys took it back to the creek, and also showed it to 2 neighbors, who were quite shocked at their find! ( Aaron wants me to add that no people or animals were harmed during the making of this blogpost! )