This is one of many turtles in a sculpture park within walking distance from my school. The turtles are beyond huge, and are meant to be climbed on.
I'm not sure if it's true, but I've heard that if you pick up a turtle in a well-meaning way (to keep it away from a road, for instance) and turn it in a different direction, it's doing the turtle a disservice.
Science teachers--please set me straight if I have the facts screwed up.
What I am sure about is a turtle's progress. They drag themselves along, slowly but steadily. It sometimes may not seem like they're moving forwards, but they are.
I'm working on a WIP. (Hey--if I wasn't working on it, there'd be no W in WIP, right?) It's historical. It's for real (middle-graders) and I think it's the most spectacular thing I've ever written... so far. (Okay, spectacular is not what I'd call it, but I couldn't resist referencing a Seinfeld episode.)
This is a piece I wrote during NaNoWriMo in November. I sat next to my students and worked on it every week day (and some weekends) that month. Strangely, it almost wrote itself (so far). Or more aptly, the main character is telling the story, and I'm just channeling him.
I'm making this public, because otherwise, I might continue to procrastinate. I have 26,000 words down, and I'm getting close to the end. By the end of May, I am going to finish with the first draft.
Keep your fingers crossed that slow and steady means I can get to the finish line...
Get back to work on that WIP!
ReplyDeleteI am not a professor of turtles. I know that sea turtles use the earth's magnetic field for navigation. Not sure about box turtles.
Don't worry about looking it up! I did it for you! Seems like if you turn a turtle, he can still find his way. You just don't want to drive him miles away and let him go, because he'll try to get back to his home. Which could take a pretty long time. He's a TURTLE, you know!
https://pethelpful.com/reptiles-amphibians/What-you-should-know-about-Eastern-Box-Turtles
Val--Thanks for doing the work for me. I must remind you of some of your former students... too lazy to look up something for themselves.
DeleteI would be very interested to read your NANO piece. Slow movers do cross the finish line. Do you take your kids to Turtle Park?
ReplyDeleteLinda--I will probably INSIST you read it. ;)
DeleteYes, we can walk to Turtle Park, so that is nice. We've done it a couple of times in an after-school club.
Slow and steady is the only way I write, which can be extremely frustrating when other people seem to be publishing a book every other day. Prolific is something I'm not.
ReplyDeleteGet to writing, girl! Can't wait to hear more about your project.
Pat
www.patwahler.com