Hurricane Irene Gone From Ocean Isle! However, One More Evacuation...

Hurricane Irene has gathered her skirts and moved on up the Coast, thankfully leaving without too much damage during her visit.  Just when we were breathing a sigh of relief here in Atlanta...Guess What?

Husband was out walking along the Creek Bank in our back yard, and nearly had a stroke when he saw this.  Frantic tapping on my studio window with a long cane pole brought me down the stairs, fast.

Do you remember last month's Saga of the Snapping Turtle ?

And his ugly wife?  And how we worried that they might have made Snapping Turtle Babies in our pond?

 

 I think this might be Junior:

  

When we tried to guide him into the bucket with this rake, he struck out at the rake like a cobra striking...ZZZIPPPP!!

We could hear his beak hit the metal of the rake.  Good Lord.  And this guy is only about 18 inches long.  Just a teenager.

Into the bucket he goes...Mandatory Evacuation.

The other two were mad, but this one was violent.  About as mad as a Snapping Turtle can be.  They have a history of amputating fingers, so Husband covered the bucket with another one, nested inside, before he picked the bucket up.  This guy was lightening fast, and could launch himself into the air with those powerful back legs.  With his beak reaching for us.  Not a nice creature.  Not welcome in our pond.

Which, apparently, is a Snapping Turtle Penthouse Pad.

Sorry.  Mandatory Evacuation.  Period.