Turtle Island!

My father gave me the most wonderful present for my birthday...a beautiful handpainted float for my pond!

You see, the pond has been very high this year, and there aren't a lot of places for them to sun themselves. So I asked my dad about how to make a little raft. My father, being the retired engineer, immediately began to sketch something on his napkin, and told me that he'd see if he had any scrap wood to build one.

So I was expected a simple raft. Not this gorgeous Turtle Island, painted to resemble a Blanding's turtle. I was so surprised!

We needed a weight to keep it anchored, and I couldn't find anything suitable so I ended up using a (you guessed it) milk jug full of broken beads. ha!

My dad and I couldn't get it too far from shore, so my sweet husband went out the next morning and moved it further out.

My parents came over again, and we sat on the patio and talked, and about twenty minutes into our conversation, a turtle head (a real one) suddenly popped up next to Turtle Island! It tried to get on the island, but couldn't quite manage it. It's late in the season, so I'm not sure if it'll end up getting used; plus, there might be some issues with the height of the island. The flippers are slightly below the water level, but they might not be wide enough.

I plan on watching a lot over the next few weeks. I can't wait to see if the turtles climb aboard. What a fantastic present! Thanks, Dad!