One way conversation of a ground turtle...for C&C of course...

[IzzieK]

1 Here I am minding my own business trying to cross the road when this crazy woman walking an equally crazy little dog came along and saw me and wondered awhile if she was going to pick me up…Well, duh!!! I was hoping she'd leave alone while I contemplate on how to cross that road a la Kentucky Fried Chicken when it was still alive…ha!

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2. Why lady….haven't you seen an about-to-be-squashed-up turtle before????

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3 Well I suppose I should be grateful you saved my life…I wouldn't have been able to cross the road anyway…I just thought the grass is greener over that side.



4 Am I suppose to be afraid? First you saw me, then took me to your house, then you put me in a box for a long time I must say, then you put me down on the grass to do your photoshoot, then you say you are making soup. I like soup too…can I have some? Ah..err...if you have leftovers, please do not, under any circumstances, grind that stink bug in your freezer to flavour my share, will you?



5 Turtle-what soup????!!!!????

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6 What do you mean one of the ingredient is turtle? That would be me in your soup??? . You saved my life? Then you intend to simmer me slowly in broth? Bah!!!I knew you were crazy right from the first time I set my eyes on you...

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7 I am outta here!!! Go get another turtle…if you follow me again I will poke your eye with my stick! Goodbye.

[Rebel]

Nice series Izzie, the first three close-ups of the head are my favourites.

[Shadowman]

Nice series, did you really take it home? Too funny!

[JohnRostron]

A nice set of pictures Izzie, enhanced as usual by your narrative.

John

[ied]

Now we're all birds as easy to take a picture of.
Great captures, I like the close ups.

Irene

[KimC]

Loved your story with the images Izzie! Such a creative narrative. Like the first 3 close-ups :-)

[Barbara Ponder]

Nicely done Izzie!

[John 2]

1 and 2 for me Izzie. Missed your focus point on 4 but a nice series and story.

[IzzieK]

Thank you all for commenting...Matt, John (Rostron), Kim, Irene, Barbara and John 2. 'Appreciate your feedback and comments...

John (Shadowman) -- yes I picked it off the road to save it from committing suicide. I brought it home and my husband told me to put it in the backyard away from the dogs because it is a good one to keep around for the bugs and mossies. It eats them. I hope he keeps some bugs for me to capture for my macro... I checked on him the other day and I can't find him...he must be in the next door neighbour's yard now...they have a new puppy so it is not as dangerous for him over there than in ours...

John (2) -- the bloody thing was moving and moving so I took several successive shots aiming at only the eyes (as you once advised me on another of my post...) this is the one that turned out OK when I scrambled to find out why my camera kept shooting after I pressed the shutter button. It was set on CL up to 100 shots!!! I had since set it to 6 shots just in case. This is what happens when one fiddles with the camera settings that was already working fine in the first instance...sometimes I can hit my head on the wall for doing it...but I don't want to ruin the wall...

Thank you for your feedback and comments...

[bnnrcn]

Very funny story Isabel My bests are #1 and #2.

[flashback]

Great shots and story, I like #5 the best. It appears you have an eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina) and possibly a male (reddish iris). If you find it again two quick things to look for: the plastron (the lower shell) is flat in females, concave in males, rear claws are long, straight and narrow for female (for digging a nest for egg laying), shorter and thicker in the male. Box turtles are able to full withdraw into their shell and close the front of the plastron. I believe they are a protected species so if you find him again it would be best to return him to where you found him. You can count the rings on the scutes (the plates, or scales on the carapace) to get an idea of its age. They are thought to live up to a hundred years young. One other things, box turtles (and other turtles) can carry salmonella so you should wash your hands after handling any turtle (and count your fingers if you've been handling a snapping turtle.)

[Brownbear]

Highly amusing narrative, as always.. My best is the 5th image because of the sharp focus on the turtles eye and the DOF includes the entire turtle's head/neck/front paws(?).

[IzzieK]

Thanks Binnur, Christina and Jack...

I found the turtle in the street about to the cross the road so I picked it up. It doesn't belong to anyone and Bill said it is a ground turtle and good for the garden...I will try to find it again as I know it might be behind the rocks where I put it last...just couldn't find the time to do it until I have read your message here...maybe bring it to the St. Charles reserve area where we bring our critters across the Missouri river. I will talk to Bill when he comes home tonight... we have smaller versions in the garden actually but we leave them alone after I photographed them...this one is only the size of my hand outstretched. I picked him up because I thought it is cute to do a shoot of him/her.

Thanks for the info, Jack..you are always helpful with ID...I learned many things today...thanks.

[purplehaze]

Very entertaining shots and narrative, Izzie. My favorites are 1, 2, 5 and 6. Very effective use of DOF in #2; could have perhaps benefited from a fraction more, but still, great effort. Numbers 1, 2 and 3 look a bit flat too me, and I wonder if you couldn't afford to intensify the contrast a bit more.

[Rita]

IMHO I think that 5 is the best here. Almost facing you, good focus on the eye, and the expression.... Oh, mustn't forget to mention the humorous narrative. I wonder if you had more fun taking the images or doing the narrative???

[IzzieK]

Very entertaining shots and narrative, Izzie. My favorites are 1, 2, 5 and 6. Very effective use of DOF in #2; could have perhaps benefited from a fraction more, but still, great effort. Numbers 1, 2 and 3 look a bit flat too me, and I wonder if you couldn't afford to intensify the contrast a bit more.

Thanks for the feedback, Janis...'Appreciate your comments and preference too...I will see what I can do further to it...'

[IzzieK]

IMHO I think that 5 is the best here. Almost facing you, good focus on the eye, and the expression.... Oh, mustn't forget to mention the humorous narrative. I wonder if you had more fun taking the images or doing the narrative???

I always have something funny cooking in my head, Rita...I work quietly but my brain is bursting with ideas while doing the shoot...especially something as interesting as saving a turtle from killing itself...

Thank you very much for passing by and being entertained by my sequence here...and also thanks for the feedback. I learned a lot from them...and also the critiques, the harsher the better.