I couldn't believe it. I blinked, but the turtle staring at me at the Irrigation Ditch was the soft-shelled variety. Actually, the first thing it did was run, but I'm hoping my voice plus the coaxing of the other living things there prodded it back to view; and it posed for me while I stood there, sketching for over an hour to get a black and white drawing for my final colored drawing. Partway through, I thought I saw a smaller form come nudge it--a baby turtle?
But no--as I looked, wide-eyed, the swimming companion that moved into view was a CATFISH, long whiskers and all. Wha...THIS was the critter that has persuaded the turtle it was all right to come out? Well, in that case, I decided to add the catfish to my sketch too.
And as I worked, I noticed underneath the catfish were shadows of two shy carp sometimes showing themselves, sometimes running away.
When I was getting ready to go home, several mothers with their toddlers stopped at the back of the Irrigation Ditch and were delighted to see a Red Ear Slider (normal turtle) there. I called to them to tell them that at the front there was a rare soft-shelled turtle and catfish too, but I don't think they believed me. How can I blame them? I didn't believe it either, even when I saw it!
