a bale of turtles

As April rolls around each year, I cannot but wait for spring to come.  Typically, spring in Indiana is short.  You go from winter snow to summer heat overnight. But before the days of nonsensical summer heat begin, one finds himself enjoying a nice spring day.  A day filled with big clouds, a welcoming sunny, and with a hint of wind across the treetops.  I found myself  a couple years ago, on a day like this.  Spring was flirting with those glances of better days to come.  Since I had no plans for they day I decide to visit a local wildlife preserve in the next county over.  As a kid, my grandfather once took me to the park to watch the migration of sandhill cranes.  I remember watching hundreds upon hundreds of these redhead birds across a wild open field.  In my mind I recall the perfect golden hour light of golden beams embrace the land.  I’m not sure how old I was, must have been eight or nine.  But regardless it left a impression on my life.  One I look back to with delight.    My grandfather was a man who I had the upmost respect and look to as my hero.  Years later after his passing, I learned for a time he worked at this county park building roads and such during the early 40s.  I found it a bit ironic that in his early 20s he built this, and in my early 20s I would be enjoying it.

So I found myself driving down a one land dirt road toward a trail head.  Along the way I interrupted a few mallard ducks, handful of turtles, and a large company of birds.  All whom were enjoying the peace and tranquility of a nice spring day.   I parked my car near a boat ramp and with camera in hand started to take a hike.  Not before too long, I came across a bale of turtles soaking in the sun on a log.  Click.  I snapped a few shots before the turtles had enough of me and jumped back into the cold dark water.  After watching them attempting to hide I went back to my hike.  I spent some time walking around and taking in the fresh air.  Most of the walk I had my grandpa on my mind.  I wish I could of taken that hike with him.  But I’m sure he was smiling down on me from above on that rare spring day.

Enjoying a nice spring day is not a hard thing to do, the problems lies in the situation.  Just like the brief moments of watching the turtles soak in the sun, its over before you know it.