#NewThisDay Writing From My Photo Stream

Red-Tailed Hawk, Charles River

. . . Hawk, I whispered, hawk,

and stared straight at him,
into his hard eyes.
Hawk, my heart sang, hawk,

a word of death and life

in balance, a word of death 
and hunger and fierce pain
and beauty and devouring.

I spoke the name of one

who wastes no life, who knows no
anger, whose strength is pure, whose
only weapon is his feathered self.

Hawk, I whispered, hawk.

Excerpt from “Red-Tailed Hawk,” Patricia Monaghan

It was a lovely October morning to wake into. I thought I would go for a bike ride, and took the dogs for a quick walk to the river. But the river was too inviting. I switched plans and Frank joined me for a kayak on the Charles to see the foliage. To be IN the foliage, really. That is how it feels, paddling through the reflection of the trees. And before I walked, I had written and sent my Aim for Astonishing weekly writing prompt focusing on the theme of waiting and patience and turtles. And on the river, the turtles were all sunning themselves on rocks and branches at the edge, in all kinds of sweet and surprising turtle poses. And the great blue heron nearby shivered and flew off into the sky. Frank wants to float a bit, so I paddle off ahead and return, and he has spotted a red-tailed hawk in a tree above our heads. We watch him patiently until he is off on the hunt. I am so grateful to be on the river, and my daughter has given the dogs a long and happy walk in my place. It’s a quiet, restful Sunday afternoon, and I get preparation done for my groups this week, which I enjoy, and then, tonight, I produce the bi-monthly open mic for the IWWG, and it’s wonderful to create a place where women’s stories are read and shared and appreciated. What a delight, today, to be in the presence of all the happy turtles in the sunshine, posing.

Q: Why do turtles spread their legs and feet out when they rest on logs?

A:      Turtles are cold-blooded animals, so they cannot control their body temperature internally. The only way they have to raise their body temperature is to bask to absorb warmth and vital UV rays. While heat is radiated to their bodies from their shells, they often stretch out their legs to collect additional heat.

Usually, their feet completely widen out at the same time to increase the surface area even more. They are able to engage in thermoregulation and their metabolism functions become elevated. As a result, the efficiency of their immune and digestive systems increases. Another benefit is that they absorb important UVB rays in sunlight. UVB rays become metabolized into vitamin D3 which is necessary to process calcium.

– Dick Brewer

https://crewtrust.org/wild-file-qa-why-do-turtles-spread-their-legs-and-feet-out-when-they-rest-on-logs/