I saw a turtle on the side of the road today and stopped to take a picture of it. In an attempt to get a good shot, I laid down on the road about five inches from it and waited for it to poke its head out of its shell. Then I waited some more. When I heard a vehicle coming I quickly stood up and pretended to be taking a picture of something else, but a guy driving a truck slammed on his brakes and skidded to a stop on the other side of the road.

“Are you okay??” he asked, somewhat urgently. 

“Oh, yeah. I’m fine. I was just taking a picture.”

He deflated a little and said “Oh, okay. I saw your bike on the ground, and your hands up by your head, and I thought you might’ve taken a spill on your bike and had a head injury or something.”

I reassured him, repeatedly, that I was okay. He looked at my loaded bike, then at me, then at my bike again. 

A guy riding a loaded bike across the country? By the time he left he understood that I hadn’t crashed, but I don’t think I ever convinced him I didn’t have a head injury.

Once he was gone I laid back down on the road for another five minutes, but the turtle never stuck his head out so I left.

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Bill ShaneyfeltEastern box turtle. If you gently slide it backwards, it is likely to poke its head out.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_box_turtle
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