Friday, April 26, 2013

Today's walk report: 042613

Turtle theives.

This was the 2nd time I caught these two kids (11-13) trying to steal red eared slider turtles from the pond at the botanical garden I frequent. This time they had a turtle which they were putting into a Tupperware container just as I was walking up. Startled, one of them started saying shit like, "Turtles? We don't know anything about any turtles..." Then he proceeded to throw his little fish net into the cattails behind him, dump the poor turtle from about 4' back into the pond and chuck the Tupperware, also into the cattails. I was pretty pissed off over the entire display. I told them more than once, "do not fuck with the turtles." I asked the one engaging in act to tell me "I will not fuck with the turtles." He replied, "my mama taught me not to use bad words." So I asked him if his mama taught him not to steal, or about treating other creatures humanely... how about littering? She obviously hadn't taught him about turtles carrying salmonella. I explained the little ecosystem that was going on with this pond and the turtle's involvement. I explained to them how, in their possession, the turtles would not be "happy" and that they would ultimately kill the turtles by removing them, etc. The other kid was just pissed, I could sense it. I could feel his thinking was already heading down a wrong path. When they took off on their bikes they figured they were home free so the 1st kid yelled out something about the other one still having a turtle. This, of course wasn't true. I understand they were just being stupid kids but when I was a stupid kid I used to at least listen when somebody was laying stuff down straight. For the most part I was stern but I was really rather pleasant with the boys. Also, for me, there are no bad words. Tell your mama.

Turtle thieving equipment. I made them pull this out of the cattails. They left it behind out of their own stupidity.

 Then I took some pictures and got back into some groovy music...

Cotyledon orbiculata


I don't know what these cacti are called but I probably could find some inappropriate names for you.



This is some nasty looking thistle that was growing along side a chain link fence. It somehow doesn't look so ugly now.



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