Written by Angel Rasper of Sacksteder’s Interiors
I can’t think of a single person who works for Karen that doesn’t have a love for the critters. From Nikki with her horses and goats; to Molly with the homeless pup she was trying to find a family for at Christmas, we all love animals here at Sacksteder’s and it shows!
And who can forget Karen’s “Bassett Patrol” Jack and Wilford!
So this morning on my way to work, my normal routine was side stepped for a little love that I have for animals!
While driving along in the country making my way down to the river, I spot this helpless little box turtle making his way into the middle of the road! Running with all his might on those stubby legs and mobile home in tow, I couldn’t bare the thought of him being crushed! So with determination to save him, I turn the “great white hope” around and feverishly rushed to his rescue.
- My car… used in many turtle rescues!
Once I reach him, I start to pray, “Please Lord don’t let any cars come too quickly… please.” I spring out of my car and race up to grab him. As I make my way back to my car with turtle in hand, I discover my security lock has engaged and locked the door behind me!
So in total surreal shock… I stand there bewildered about what I am going to do next! So as I am trying to figure out what to do with a car that is running and locked sitting in the middle of the road a very kind man pulls up and asks me if I need help. Trying to hide the turtle behind my back and a little embarrassed about my predicament I say, “Please… if you wouldn’t mind.”
He pulls off the road behind me and asks me if he can help me push the car off the road as I reply ” That’s not going to work in this case and your going to laugh at me when I tell you why. My door locked behind me when I was trying to rescue this guy! This has never happened before.” As I hold up who we will now call “Wilford from the Woods.”
- Wilford– who is now safe and sound with me hanging out at the Sacksteder’s in Obryonville.
Mr. Good Samaritan… and you know who you are… starts laughing and telling me how this is going to make a great story and he can’t wait to tell all his friends!
So with plenty of levity in this crazy little situation and a couple of phone calls … the police arrive. The kind officer gets out of his car with a puzzled look on his face and says, “So tell me… how does this kind of thing happen?” …as I hold up Wilford to blame.
The officer opens my car door quickly and says as he is laughing, ” Okay… you and your little turtle friend have a great day and now its time to be on your way!”
- Wilford wanting out of his temporary home.
- The lake that is soon to be Wilford’s home.
As you can only imagine; by now I am extremely late for work, so I make a call to the “queen bee” to tell her what happened. She starts laughing hysterically and says, ” I do the same thing! You can’t make this stuff up! We have the craziest things happen to us don’t we?”
So as we are hanging up yelling “TURTLE RESCUE!”… I hear Wilford the 2nd scratching around in the back seat reassuring me that he was so worth the risk!