Speaker 1: Hey, thanks for being a part of the conversation. This
is Forest Stories. I am the Poet in the Forest,
a children's series that I pinned out in the nineteen nineties. Now,
none of it would be possible if it wasn't for
this forest right here in South Charlotte, North Carolina. I
talk about it so much that I thought maybe it's
time that you get to know what has inspired me
for thirty years. Thanks for being a part of the conversation.
Welcome back to the forest. Had another visit with Timmy
the turtle. Timmy has been a little playful little guy,
and I wonder sometimes if this is the same turtle
that used to sit with me inside the sacred circle
near the slow moving stream headed toward the lake. I
would be in prayer, in meditation, sitting on the forest floor,
opening my eyes. Many times a turtle would be sitting
next to me. I've done some research on turtles. Particular
turtles in this area usually travel within two acres. They
call it their home. If Timmy the turtle were ever
removed from this area, he would spend the rest of
his life searching for this home in this forest. So
my wonder is, is this turtle who has been visiting
us several times this summer, the same Timmy the turtle
that sat with me in meditation and prayer, and each
time that we see each other, is Timmy just as excited.
You should have seen the way Jazzy and Timmy looked
at each other just a moment ago. Jazzy, my pointer,
gets on her fore paws like she's gonna play with
another dog, and there was Timmy the turtle, looking straight
into Jazzy's eyes. They were nearly nose to nose. I
love this little guy, and I do hope in my
heart with faith that Timmy has always been in with
me this entire way, from the sacred circle near the
stream to sitting right there in the front yard just
a moment ago, playing with JOSSI. Hey, thanks for being
a part of the conversation.