Two painted turtles wait, still as the log beneath them, alert as the sun overhead, watching with one eye.
Across the water rises a steady striking, a single snare drum, loud enough to move freshly fallen leaves. Sound takes form and glides above the ground, as if searching for a home.
Holding steady then, braving percussion and motion, the turtles weigh comfort and concern, until arms on the scale tilt. Life and death in the balance.
Trail run: 4 miles — Westwood Park
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