Okay so today I was going up to a local lake near my house to chill out and maybe catch some things. Turtles, snakes, lizards, whichever. (Eels too but I had no way to catch them...)

So I get up there and spend an hour or two just stalking around and I eventually caught a maximum of five little baby turtles, no bigger than a half dollar coin. I got a few questions as to what I was doing, and I answered honestly with "I'm going to take some pictures, then let them go. I wish I could take them out of this lake though" because honestly the lake is so polluted and gross. Its poisoned with lead from a paint company years ago and there's trash everywhere and its nasty.

But anyway.

So this old lady comes up to me as I catch a turtle and she questions me. Here's how this conversation goes.

OL (Old Lady): What are you doing?

Me: I'm catching turtles

OL: What are you going to do with them?

Me: Oh I'm going to take some pictures of them, then put them back-

OL: Do you take them home with you?

Me: ??? No, I put them back. But I used to take them to a nice, clean lake where there's no people

OL: Wait so you're going to take them and move them away from their home?

Me: No, I'm not Miss... (Note I said Miss sarcastically)

OL: I don't trust you.

Me: That's fair-

OL: I'm going to report you! I'm going to my car and reporting you to the animal control. What you're doing is cruel! Those turtles need their mother!

Then she walked away. Now note that turtles don't need their parents...the mother lays the eggs then dips. These baby turtles can take full care of themselves mind you. So I just kinda shrug in answer and walk away. Then this other really nicely dressed woman comes up to me.

NL (Nice Lady): Are you trying to save these turtles?

Me: I really want to save them. But since I don't know how to get to a cleaner lake from here the only thing I can do is take pictures and put them back here

NL: That's a very kind thing you know. Good luck

Now this all happened in the span of, what, 2 minutes? So then I start walking back home and I see the Old Lady AGAIN and I'm like ugh okay gotta deal with this. So I'm carrying these 5 baby turtles in a bucket still as I pass her again. I note 3 little adorable children in the back as the lady glares.

OL: I'm reporting you to the police! You cruel woman!

Then she kinda just...walks away. Okay so now you're reporting me for fishing...when I have no fishing rod...and no fish...yeah okay good luck with that. Now there is a rule against fishing in that lake and general area, but I technically wasn't fishing.

Then this other woman with the kids looks curious as I pass before speaking up.

Mother: Did she really just say that to you?

Me: Yeah but I don't really care at this point. I didn't do anything wrong.

Mother: *laughing* If she had said that to me I would have cursed her out

So then we spent a good half hour just talking and I let the little kids watch me as I led the baby turtles go. They were all so cute but I didn't trust them with handling the turtles, just feeling them pet said turtles had me concerned. And then all was good as I walked home.

Anyway, that was my day. Fun right?

Here's four of the five turtles, I caught the last one after this picture was taken. That one that's climbing up kept almost getting out and I kept fearing that it would lol.