Friday, Jun. 20, 2003 - 2:30 p.m.
Hi Everyone,
I'm back in Pet now, and boy is it nice to be home! The trip back was unbelievable. Really, when I tell you the story, you are not going to believe it!
There we were, Richard and I, driving through Algonquin Park. The sign at the side of the road read, "Moose crossing next 68 kilometres". I've read this sign before, watching the marshes along the highway with eagle eyes, without any luck. My mother tells me that they just put those signs there to give people something to do. Are we really that simple? This time Rich had started the moose calls early, to let them know we were coming. Smart lad that one. The sun was shining and it was very warm. This looked to me to be perfect weather to stand in a cool marsh, if I were a moose. Then, suddenly up ahead, there was a white sedan parked at the side of the road - the telltale sign of a moose sighting. A man stepped out of the car and crossed the road, bringing a camera up to his eye. Richard slowed down while I braced myself for what I had been anticipating for at least 34 kilometres. Then woosh, like a flashcard, I saw a female moose grazing along the side of the road. She was so close, so close! Just fifteen feet away from my nose, squished hard against the window, she stood oblivious of the photographer or the traffic. My first moose sighting, over in a flash but well worth the anticipation.
A little while later it started to rain - and I mean really pour. Rich pulled off to the side for a minute because we couldn't see the road in front of us. I wanted to get out and play, but Rich wouldn't let me. I don't think he jumps through puddles either. Too bad too. We got under way again, and not much longer after that we noticed something on the road. Rich said he thought it was a turtle and asked me if I wanted to go back. Of course I wanted to go back. We came up behind it and I got out of the truck. It was a beautiful medium sized snapping turtle. I walked around to the front of her and realized she had been struck but was still alive. The right back part of her shell was cracked and I could see a little bit of tender meat beneath it (back in the day it would have been supper). I knew I couldn't pick her up without hurting her, so I walked back to the truck to see if I could find something flat for her to crawl onto. Meanwhile, a couple of girls had stopped just in front of us. They came over with gloves and a stick. They seemed to have done this sort of thing before. They tried to get the turtle to latch on to the stick and when that didn't work they picked her up by the tail and set her down away from the highway.
A moose sighting and a turtle rescue. What a day! Further along we saw another turtle who wasnt' as lucky. I guess we can't save them all. Would anyone like to employ me to drive up and down the highway and save turtles in the rain?
I also had a ball game at 7:30. We played hard but still lost. 17-5, or something like that. One of those runs was scored by yours truly. My first time making it to home base. I was H A P P Y, happy. My batting is getting better, I'm really getting a good piece of that ball. Now, if I can keep it on the ground I might make it to second on a single hit!
Not much else to write about. Tonight is the Afghanistan briefing. I've been looking forward to it. I also have some volunteer work coming up this weekend.
You know I'll let you know how it all goes! Have a great weekend!!
