August 2013 – Baby Turtles Hatch on Slope

I wanted to plant a willow on the slope, near the area where the turtles had been laying eggs. Instead of a shovel, I used my hands to dig a hole, very carefully.

Sure enough, dozens of baby turtles had hatched. I carefully put them into a bucket, and brought them down to the pond. The immediately made a beeline for the water!

Photo of baby turtles
Baby turtles and the tip of my sneaker

August 2013 – Another Plant Appears on Slope

photo of horseweed
What is all this tall stuff, I wonder (sorry about the camera strap in the way.) I think it’s Conyza canadensis, or horseweed. It’s growing over where the big patch of knotweed was, and it worries me, because there’s a lot of it, and it’s flowering. It’s supposedly native. I leave some and take some away, trying to honor some of nature’s balance.