Barber County Lake, Medicine Lodge, Kansas
After a day’s worth of rain the road out looked like this.
Come Monday it is suppose to rain for three days.
I don’t want to deal with this when leaving.
We can go out the way we came in as that part of the road held up well. The road is just a short loop around. I’ll see how much the rain is Monday and if it is a lot I guess we will leave sooner than I really wanted to for we really have some nice solitude here.
A nice day for a walk at least.
Looks like this is supposed to be over water but the water level in the lake must be down.
Part way across an earthen dam that divides the lake I found someone in a difficult spot.
Here little guy, let me help you out.
I helped two others while at it.
They were not as calm about being picked up as were the Box Turtles back at Black Kettle.
These guys had all four legs out “swimming” through the air.
The big guy popped his head out and I could see he was a Red-eared Slider, the most common turtle there is, the type you would get at a pet store as a baby and keep in an aquarium. They are labeled as an invasive species that threaten the habit of native species.
On the other side of the walkway dam I found a nice wide, thus tick-free, path to walk along.
There wasn’t much to see so I made my way over to the roadway that took me by the lake’s edge.
Here I could see dozens and dozens of those turtles floating about in the lake water. They truly have invaded this lake. If I saw that many from this one point, there must be hundreds and hundreds of Red-eared Turtles in these waters. It most likely began long long ago when someone released their pet turtles in the lake because they got too big or simply lost interest in caring for them.
I made my way back over the earthen dam feeling bad for Beans. I let her out and we stuck to the muddy road near camp, away from any vegetation and she was happy with that.
Just another picture of cuteness sleeping while I was away.
4 comments:
Hi there cute Beans! What can the turtles eat, just pond grasses and such? That's so funny to have a lake overrun by the pet turtle gang all grown up. It smacks of a cartoon my sons liked as kids, Teenage Mutent Ninja Turtles. Sorry, that's the way my brain works.
We always had a pet turtle in the classrooms when I grew up. I can't remember what disease they carried or why they got banned. I don't remember any of us getting sick. That lake looks lovely. The soil looks rich.
Oh my, that road out looks a mess, and I shudder to think what 3 more days of rain will do to it.
Glad you found a wide path to walk along, and that you were able to talk Beans outside for a turn or two along the muddy road.
Beans looks so peaceful and at ease, and yep, she's the picture of cuteness!
Be safe & well.
Wow so many turtles. Have never seen a lot at one time.
I enjoy reading your blog not just for the content but it is so easy to read with a good font size and great lay out. :)
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