Only the first two are inevitable, but turtles do die (that’s why they make new ones).

It poured last night and this morning there was still a bit of wetness falling from the sky. Every so often the sun would peek through the heavy clouds, but it wasn’t for long. I stopped by the Visitor’s center to get a cup of coffee and wound up talking to Kathy for a while (she works for the Missouri Department of Conservation, which maintains an office there). She seemed surprised to learn there are people actually living in the park (yesterday I came across another “human nest” on the east side of the Metrolink tracks). I’ve been finding the evidence - clothing and other personal effects - all year long. Just a few weeks ago, I came across a couple camped near the pawpaw tree close to the intersection of Kingshighway and Forest Park Parkway. Yesterday’s nest was a bit more concealed than that, though.

It was on the playground that I came close to death - the word, at least - on the posted rules and regulations. It looks as if it was copied verbatim out of the installation instructions  for the playground set. One can’t buy anything these days without being reminded that what you just bought could kill you (and everyone you love, as well).

As an example, let me cite that which I know best. When I bought my first new camera in 1972 (a Nikkormat FTn with a 28mm f3.5 Nikkor lens), it seemed a safe purchase. In fact, I do believe it was safe - there were certainly no warning labels with it. Fast forward thirty years and I am purchasing my first digital camera (it cost twenty-seven times as much as my Nikkormat without a lens). When I opened the owners manual I was surprised to find there were 4 pages of warnings that start with this heading:

Safety Warnings: Follow these safeguards and use the equipment properly to prevent injury, death and material damage.

Under the subtitle Preventing Serious Injury or Death, there are 20 bullet points, some of them with sub points. Then we have Preventing Injury or Equipment Damage, and Camera Care, careful instructions that end with the curious statement “When the on/off switch is left on for a prolonged period, the camera may become hot. Although this is not a malfunction (!), holding the hot camera for a long period can cause slight skin burns” (Who knows, those slight skin burns may require slight skin grafts).

Being a photographer is only slightly less dangerous, apparently, than being a combat infantryman.

What followed my narrow escape on the playground? Why the turtle, of course (with a few other things between)! I didn’t find him (so I can’t take the credit for that) but I did photograph said creature (a common snapping turtle) and therefore will take credit for the image, which you can see, along with others, here.