Turtle in the road

“Did you see that?” Jim asked. “Big turtle in the road.”

It looked like a crumpled brown paper bag stranded in the narrow space between the two lanes on Randall near Ice Cream Drive.

For a few seconds I felt that irrational need to have him turn the car around so we could go back and rescue the wayward reptile.

But I had a train to catch.
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It reminded me of the time I was on the Great Western bike trail doing my usual Saturday ride from St. Charles to Sycamore.

On the way back, I saw a tiny raccoon staggering along the side of the trail. It was daytime and the little guy was alone so it was obvious his family had abandoned him.

I stopped for a bit to watch, contemplating how to rescue him.

I was in the middle of nowhere. No backpack. Carrying him while riding with one hand was not an option as it was still a good 10 miles to my car. And what would I do then?

So I left him. I didn’t like it much, but I left.

I did that same ride the following weekend.

And there, on the side of the trail, was that baby raccoon. Dead.

There’s a part of me that says it was abandoned because it was weak and unhealthy.

Nature is cruel yet practical when it comes to such things.

But I still felt like I should’ve done something.
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It’s not as if that turtle could dash across a lane of traffic like a squirrel.

He was pretty much stuck.
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If you live in the far west suburbs of Chicago and encounter an abandoned animal please take it to the Fox Valley Wildlife Center on Route 38 in Elburn.

I successfully rescued a baby duck once and they were extremely helpful in that matter.
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Of course, that won’t help the turtle this morning.

I had a train to catch.
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I am listening to: The Strokes – You Only Live Once
I am reading: Steinberg in the Sun-Times
And I am: Heartless