Spring weather brings us out into the open

r Look around at what a nice warm spring day brings out. We see people working in their yards, driving around in convertibles and going fishing to enjoy being outside after a long winter. While enjoying a picnic lunch in the sunshine at Spring Lake the other day, we discovered turtles basking in the sun. At first sight, my wife and I just noticed bumps on a log. Closer inspection revealed a total of five turtles on a log just off the shoreline of the lake. That was a wildlife sighting that we were not expecting. Wow, another example of what spring weather brings out.

The turtle species is known as the Red-eared Terrapin, also commonly known as the Red-eared Slider. The name comes from a red stripe behind the eyes and their ability to slide off rocks and logs quickly when they feel threatened. They are cold-blooded reptiles and utilize the environmental temperature to regulate their body temperature. That is why they enjoy sunbathing on warm days. It appeared that they not only enjoyed basking in the sun, but they enjoyed doing it as a group lined up next to one another.

The turtles we saw appeared to be about seven to eight inches long, with one slightly smaller than the others. A couple of times we saw a turtle slide off the log, swim around and climb back up on the log. It was a fun sighting and added a great deal to our lunch experience. It left us appreciating the little treasures our creator has provided us. Thanks for the change of season, we all enjoy it.