Popcorn in the car!

Look at those eyes! Could you say "no" to those?

Today, before Paul's Dog training class, I had the opportunity to transport this little handsome guy.

Part lab, part great Pyrenees, little popcorn was an absolute angel. He started in the carrier and was doing fine, but his occasional mournful whine, his inability to get comfortable, and his adorable eyes (plus Amy said he would ride well in my lap) made me decide to pull over somewhere and move him up onto my lap on a towel.


It was just as I had decided we should pull over to get readjusted that I saw something on the right hand side of the road.... moving...

 Meet George! 

George - the cranky Florida soft-shell turtle (representation, not actual George)

George decide he wanted to take a BIG gamble today. 

He wanted to cross the road! All 4 lanes of it! With cars coming on at about 50 mph. 

George had decided to become part of a lovely statistic stating that only 2% of turtles who decide to take on the suicidal task of crossing the road ever make it to the other side. He was currently 5 feet from the curb. GREAT!

I looked back at Popcorn, "what do you think?"

Popcorn wiggled. It was decided. Blinker on, car over, windows down. Now I needed a plan... why? GEORGE IS HUGE! 

He was about the same size as the turtle shown right (also a soft-shell) but George had two large scrapes in his shell. Had this crazy turtle tried this before!? God why would he tempt fate TWICE!

I tried walking in front of him. He stared. I tried shooing him and stomping to scare him back. He stared. I jingled my keys at him. ... He stared, then squinted at me as if to say "move woman..."

Then George surprised me. He jumped toward the road. Not walked or trotted, leaned back, and leaped into the air, landing a few inches forward with a loud thud. He really was crazy!

Here is someone else's proof that they do jump!

New plan. Went back to the car, Got a large beach towel, threw it over him (waited for him to stop leaping like a fool), and grabbed him in the towel (hands far from mouth and toes). I quickly carried him back across the lawn and put him as far from the road as I could (he was hissing the whole time).

I returned to the car, George staring, pissed, and was greeted by Popcorn's smiling mug. He got up on my lap on a towel and cruised happily there for the next hour. 

When he began to get wiggly I took the hint and pulled over at Burger King. On the way in he learned how to honk the horn! Sorry pedestrians!

I put the leash on him, plopped him on the grass, and he promptly peed an ocean. Such a good boy to notify me. Then we heard a loud "Aw-Ah!~"

Popcorn looked at me like "DUDE WHAT WAS THAT!?"

Then we saw this (actual picture!) A very loud male peacock and his harem of 3 ladies. Popcorn looked at him, cautiously gave a slow half wag, then looked at me like "ok we saw him, you took a pic, can we get away from that loud turkey now?"

I think this trip has included the most wildlife I've seen in a while. Popcorn was great and did well socializing like a big boy at Paul's class. What and adventure.