The Turtle Pond

When I was younger, and by younger, I wish I could say 7 or 8, but I really mean about 13-14ish, I was insanely obsessed with turtles and that obsession led to me spending countless hours beside an unowned pond that I named, The Turtle Pond. Original. I know.

It was a pretty little thing, formed of granite with a few rocks scattered here and there on the edges, a little tree on one end, and just enough depth to house an assortment of turtles. So, in the spring and summer there I would sit, alone sometimes, with friends occasionally, but most often with younger siblings, and we would wait.
and wait.
and wait.
for a turtle head to appear at the water's surface.
And when one did appear, a silent motion would get the attention of other turtle hunters present and we would creep towards the waters edge, nets in tow, and at the last possible moment, the person closest to the unsuspecting reptile would all but dive into the water, net flailing into the water in hopes that when the net was dragged back up from beneath the surface of the murky pond, a turtle would be mixed in with all the muck.
We were rarely successful.
But oh, it was fun trying.
We caught quite a few turtles that were brought home to be put in a stock tank turned gigantic turtle aquarium.

As I got older, the turtle pond lost its appeal in some ways or perhaps I felt that it should lose its appeal because how many teenage girls jump into knee deep muck to drag out a slimy green reptile? It wasn't cool. So the pond was visited less and less until one day the faded for sale sign that had been hopelessly there for years, was gone and construction of a new house began.
It was the official end of my turtle pond days.

But then Pop Pop built a pond. In the pasture behind my parent's home, he built a pond, lined it, placed rocks carefully around the edges that he brought here from our Fredericksburg ranch, and planted sod around the edges.

And the turtles have made it their new home.

They're tiny. They're cute. They're absolutely the best thing I have seen this summer. I assure you that I will not be returning to San Angelo without a pair of them. I will, I will catch one if I have to jump right into that pond like the old days. I don't have boys to act girly for anymore so I can. In fact, I have one boy, Mason who would love to see me be anything BUT girly.

So, tonight, my friends, I am going to be 13 again and I am going to wait in silence, net ready, until i once again see a little turtle head poking out of the pond water and then i will, without hesitation, do whatever it takes to get me a turtle. The only difference between then and now, well, I guess there's two - my companion will be my son. And the pond won't be one I've trespassed onto. It's right in my our back yard.

Life's good. : )
Thanks Pop Pop for our very own turtle pond.

(on a side note, pop pop does not want the turtle pond to be a turtle pond. It's for fish. Fish are eaten by turtles, but see, what pop pop doesn't know, Turtles are way more fun than fish. So, I bet they're gonna stay...)