The Pond

We take a walk to the pond in our neighborhood almost every day.  Last year, during the worst days of the drought we watched as the water level in the pond slowly dropped until there was so little water the ducks moved away, the fish died, and the turtles disappeared.  It was so sad to see such a beautiful little spot become nothing more than a mud pit.  The many rainy days we've had this Spring have brought life back to the pond, and it is with great exuberance that Alex grabs some bread and heads out on our walk each morning.

We've discovered a new type of turtle living in the pond, and he is the first little creature Alex looks for when we get to the Pond.  He has affectionately named him Mr. Snout-nose.  I am pretty sure he is a type of Florida soft-shell turtle.  And he does indeed have a "snout nose".

This little girl is part of a duo, although her other half has been missing (and is suspected of moving to the bigger pond across the main road).  Her name is Salt.  (Of course her other half is named - Pepper!)

Because of the red stripe on his face, Alex named this little turtle Reddy.  And Reddy has two babies named Reddy Jr. and the Other Reddy.

This big girl Alex calls Big Red, although she is really Big Red the Second. We lost Big Red the First during the drought last summer.  (I almost cried.  It IS possible to get attached to ducks when you see them and feed them nearly every day!)

This one is Mr. Mallard Duck.  The other ducks can be pretty mean to him so we're glad he is still hanging around.

There are plenty of birds around, but this little guy was pretty talkative during our most recent visit.

Looking for Mr. Snout-nose.

Alex always picks up one of these orange flowers for me, and if Granny is walking with us, he brings one for her too!