If you want to see grown men cower...

...watch them when they catch a snapping turtle when they are fishing. Eddie and I went fishing yesterday. Actually he fished and I went and waded in the creek again.

When I went back to the pond he and another man were fishing. Neither had caught anything. I hadn't been there 10 minutes when the other man caught a snapping turtle. I had been watching 2 of them and he caught the big one. I reeled it in with a whole lot of effort. Then he was dumb enough to think he was actually going to get his hook back! The turtle thought differently and it won the battle!

I tried to warn the man but, of course, he didn't listen. A snapping turtle can extend it's neck about a foot from the shell. It has no problem reaching around the back of it's portable house and snapping one of your fingers right off your hand. It was fun to watch the idiot reach down and jump back as the turtle tried to dismember him! All for a 10 cent fishing hook. When the man would jump back the turtle would make a dash (yes, they can dash when they are upset) for the bank. The man would pull back on the line and the turtle would leverage it's feet against the side of the embankment much like a 3 year old child grabs onto the door frame when it's being hauled to take a dreaded bath!

Finally he wised up and cut the line. The poor turtle has to live with a hook now but at least it's alive and the man has all his digits. Then a few minutes later Eddie caught the little turtle. Much the same battle ensued except I tried to get him to let me put it in the back of the truck. I was going to let it walk around back there until we got home and then I was going to kill it and eat it.

Eddie would have no part of it. He was too scared. He just cut his line and let it go!

It gives me a new respect for my ex. I was married to Daniel Boone. He would catch bigger turtles than the ones we caught yesterday and I can guarantee you that even though he would show them a healthy respect for their ability to chomp, he didn't hesitate to kill it. I ate turtle many times when we were first married.

It's good. People tell you it tastes like chicken. It kind of does but with a much richer flavor. I finally got the nerve to taste frog legs a couple years ago. It took me a few minutes to remember where I had tasted that flavor before. Turtle and frog legs have the same flavor. Turtles have much more meat.

Before we went home Eddie caught a bass. I cleaned it. He will cook it today. I will eat it.