It has been a beautiful first half of May. We’ve had copious amounts of rain, torrential rains even, that have kept our temperatures on the cool side. Our lakes have been at 25% capacity and lower as we’ve been enduring a four-year drought with record highs being broken left and right. This May has been an answer to prayers though. We’ve been getting rain and more rain, with rain in the forecast almost every day for the next two weeks. It’s fabulous for the lakes in my area; our main one is up to 45%. And the plants are dressed up in the most incredible shade of green!
It’s raining!!!
Now, you might be wondering what the rain has to do with catching a sucker and turtles with death wishes. I mean, it’s a far leap from rain to suckers and reckless turtles. Isn’t it?
Actually it isn’t that far of a leap. Being the caretaker of turtles has developed this keen appreciation and sensitivity to the activity of turtles in the world around me. Yes, I am… (drum roll, please!) Turtle Woman! It’s like everywhere I go I notice turtles. I swear there are more turtles in the world than there used to be, but science doesn’t really back me up on that.
Because of the recent wet weather the turtles in my area have been out in full force. I have seen many red ear sliders wandering around because of all the moisture. These are water turtles for the most part, so when there is water everywhere they wander around quite a bit more than they normally would. In fact, I am convinced that the really adventurous turtles play the turtle version of Russian Roulette. I think they call it Road Racing.
I had (yes, that is a HAD!) to go to Hobby Lobby this week for some paper. That means I have to drive 30 minutes through rural Oklahoma to get to the nearest Hobby Lobby. As I drove the Turtle Woman in me began to notice lots of turtle roadkill. It was everywhere. Pretty soon I was swerving all over the mostly empty road to avoid the live turtles that were nonchalantly walking across the road. I know it is safer not to swerve, but I don’t want to be a turtle killing machine. My favorites were the ones that stop crawling so they can turn and look at the car barreling down on them. It’s turtle road racing at its best! I avoided running over ten or so turtles with a death wish that day.
Which brings me to catching a sucker…
Remember that I said I HAD to go to Hobby Lobby? It’s all because my husband and I decided to be more involved in our community. Our first baby step was involvement in Band Boosters with the local school system. We have two in band and two more planning on being in band so it was a pretty logical move. So naively we show up for the first meeting and mostly listen. By the third meeting we are actively participating in discussions, although not really volunteering for much because why on earth would we volunteer to plan, prepare, and feed 200 people during a contest when we have never been involved before? Well, I did make cookies for one of those meals… but that was easy-peasy lemon squeezy.
So this semester, with those contests safely behind us, we did say we’d help with the band banquet for the high school. I mean, this is right up my alley: planning, decorating, and throwing a party. Plus, we weren’t in charge. Then I got elected as Middle School Liaison (because we will still have a middle school student next year, and no one else will) which put me on the executive committee. Suddenly I get pulled into this band banquet as the right hand woman in all decisions and actions. I am more in the loop than the band directors… even to having to go with the committee head to the storage room in a more or less abandoned school across town so I can know where it is located. She insisted!
So Tuesday I drove to Hobby Lobby to get more paper for the banquet centerpieces. Yesterday I stood in the pouring rain at the storage school building to load tables and sternos in the back of the committee head’s car. As the water ran down my glasses and soaked my light jacket it occurred to me that I’ve been suckered. I’ve been pulled into this whole banquet and been shown all of this stuff so that I can be in charge next year when my oldest in is high school because the committee head doesn’t want to do it again. Maybe I’m wrong, but I really don’t think that I am. I’m the sucker who has been caught right in the center of the cross-hairs. It might have been less risky to play road racing with the turtles!
Following His Path 