A gift of freedom.

After out trip to the zoo we really wanted to give our Yurtle, The Turtle the best gift ever. As much as he (yes, we think of him as "he", not "it") was surely enjoying worry free meals of juicy earth worms, flies, spiders, and occasionally dry pellets, we had a feeling he would rather take care if himself.
When we picked up this tiny hatchling last fall, barely moving across the road, then spent close to $80.00 to set up him temporary winter headquarters, we knew we would set him free next summer.
We have been really enjoying Yurtle's company as much of a company as the snapping turtle can provide. There was someone waiting for us when we came home. His snout was clanging against the glass of the fish tank almost talking to us, something like turtle's Morse Code...tap, tap-tap-tap, tap... I had someone to complain to when I had a pile of dishes to wash and he was there to listen.
Yurtle doubled in weight, his shell hardened, his claws grew longer and sharper, he became more alert. These are all the signs that we've been taking good care of him.But the truth was much too obvious. He would rather be free.
He needed ultraviolet light so that his shell grows strong and hard. He needed to learn how to hunt. He needed to enjoy his freedom in the summer before the days get shorter and colder and winter would be around the corner.
We took pictures together with Yurtle to remember him by, put him in a bucket and took off to a Sunny Hill Lake. Even the name of the lake vibrates with happiness, opportunities and life full of adventure. We call that lake "our lake", since we've been spending a lot of Sunday afternoons fishing, boating and relaxing.
The water was very warm. We put Yurtle on the big rock sticking out from the water and waited. Anxious to see what the turtle would do. We didn't have to wait for too long.
He stretched his very long, quite disproportional rubbery neck, sniffed the air, went along the rock and disappeared under the water.
The water was pretty clear and it was easy to watch him. All the girls were excited to see him, but in a while the mud disturbed from the bottom of the lake by those little feet hid our pet from us. Everybody had to step back and wait for the water to become clear again.
And there he was, happy and content, browzing around, getting stuck in the weeds and easily releasing himself.
We spent a few minutes in the water, were very glad our Yurtle liked the Sunny Hill home and decided it was time to leave. EEEUUU!What an upleasant surprise! EEEUUUU!EEEUUUU!
We had to pay a dear price for Yurtle's freedom! With our own blood! EEEUUU! We had leaches already attached to us and busy sucking. Mirek got 4, and I, luckily, only 1. The girls were spared!

We were going home and were very happy for Yurtle. And we knew that if he could talk, he would thank us.