A stinkpot in hiding

It was quite chilly today, and, off and on, I've heard what has to be the most beautiful sound in the world: the steady splash of rain on the leaves. All in all, the precipitation won't amount to much—maybe a quarter of an inch—and we'll still finish September down about three inches from normal. There'll be no shift from tan to yellow in the US Drought Monitor map; we'll still be in the moderate drought category. But any rain is welcome and maybe it's even the start of a happy change in the weather pattern. This turtle, almost hidden underwater under a large, algae-covered rock, doesn't seem fazed by the conditions. I'm pretty sure it's the same Musk Turtle, a.k.a. Stinkpot, that I saw lazing about above-water yesterday, and it might be the same one I've seen off and on throughout the summer. At this time of year, it can sense what's coming—the declining amount of light serves as a reliable calendar—and it's probably scouting out good locations for hunkering down and, at low ebb, toughing out the winter.