Dinosaurs among us

HW came running to get me.  "You have to come look at this!"He ran back all the way down our path to next to the garden, and in the grass right next to the path, there was this:My instinct was of course to immediately lean down to touch it, an instinct I luckily arrested halfway there, freezing in place.   No!  Don't touch!Apparently, that big snapping turtle that lives in the culvert on the road, that's been too wily (and fast) for me to catch on camera before, decided to walk up here, apparently headed for the garden, and got intercepted at a path.  She's not happy about it.More than likely, she is  a she, looking for a place to lay some eggs.Behind her, there is a path cut through the weeds, showing exactly where she came from.  Since it's been so dry and she walked a half klick from the creek, I left a bowl of water, and after a brief photo shoot, we left her alone.What a prehistoric creature!  Turtles are so...different, and ancient.  It's like looking at a dinosaur come to life.An hour later, the turtle was gone.  Her path did not continue, so she either retraced her steps exactly in disgust after the attention, or walked along our path for a time before she left it into the woods, weeds, or garden (more likely).  Who knows!