Save Ottumwa Post August 10, 2022

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•••••AUGUST 10, 2022•••••

Turtles; A Get Rich Quick Scheme After my column about catching snapping turtles appeared in newspapers around the country, I was inundated with information, on which I was so sorely lacking. I learned how to clean turtles, in many ways, some of which bordered on the bizarre.

The strangest involved an air compressor, large gauge needles, and sharp knives. I will leave the details to the reader’s imagination.

I also received recipes, some of which sounded quite good. The one that sounded the best was basically New England clam chowder with the clams replaced with turtle and the New England replaced with Iowa.

In New England, they use potatoes and leeks. In Iowa, we use corn and onions. People in different parts of the country cook with that which is handy. It all works.

The most interesting bit of information I received as a result of the column was that a guy less than thirty miles away buys snapping turtles for a dollar a pound to be shipped all over the world. When I told my son about this, he had the same response as did I. We could get rich catching turtles. Perhaps (Outdoors cont’d on pg 2)

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not rich, but wealthy enough to winter in the south of France when the ice became too thick to catch turtles. We immediately set out to build a turtle trap.

Lack of knowledge about a subject has never stopped me from attempting to do anything. Neither of us had ever seen a turtle trap, but how hard could it be. A pre-historic animal, such as a snapping turtle, could not be too bright. We had two cattle panels, a roll of chicken wire, and a welder. My son even knows how to weld, somewhat. The cattle panels are heavy gauge steel grids that had been used as gates sometime in the distant past.

They had also had the misfortune of being closed when someone who shall remain nameless drove a tractor through the gate he thought was opened.

The somewhat deformed panels were cut into four foot sections and welded into a more or less square shape. A funnel was formed on the one side and chicken wire covered the large holes. We made a bait container, which was wired to the top, and we were ready for turtle trapping. Loading the newly made turtle trap, we discovered, two cattle panels and a roll of chicken wire

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all connected with forty pounds of welding rods, causes a it to weigh more than one might think. We loaded it into the truck and headed for the lake. The only topic of discussion on the trip to the lake was what to do with the really fine trap when we reached our destination.

We wanted it to be deep enough for the bait box to touch the water, but shallow enough the turtles in the trap would not drown. We checked the shore, where it was either too shallow or too deep. We finally decided to take it out in a boat and drop it where it would be just right.

With a depth finder and fishing pole, we finally found the place that met all the requisite needs for turtle trapping. We baited the trap and dropped it unceremoniously overboard.

Tonight is my son’s night to check the trap. I am not sure how this will be done, but I know he will let me know. I am also not sure how to get a turtle out of the trap, so I hope he catches the first one and informs me of the proper procedure.

I also hope he has all of his fingers when he calls. Their may also be a pre-historic reptile trapping or transportation license required to sell turtles.

I am sure I will be informed if so. The call usually comes on Monday morning from the

Enforcement Division of the Department of Natural Resources when I have done something illegal and had the lack of wisdom to tell the entire world in my column.

We are well on our way to easy street with turtles. I will keep you informed of our success and let you know what the DNR says when they call.

AUGUST 10, 2022

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Warrant Wednesday

After biscuits and gravy, Melissa and I love having a biscuit with honey, a breakfast dessert.

Wapello County has over 500 active warrants. Warrant Wednesday’s are designed to help law enforcement locate wanted persons, with the public’s help.

Do NOT attempt to apprehend these individuals.

Instead, call the Ottumwa Police Department at (641) 683-0661 or Wapello County Sheriff ’s Department at (641) 684-4350 if you have any information on their whereabouts. Your tips can be made anonymously.

Biscuits and Honey

Name: Saneres Eseskamo DOB: 07/16/1996 Warrant Issued: 06/22/2022 Warrant Details: Failure to Appear Original Charge: Disorderly Conduct

Name: Jaime Jiguan Lopez DOB: 05/01/1981 Warrant Issued: 08/13/2021 Warrant Details: Failure to Appear Original Charge: Domestic Abuse Assault

CAPTURED Name: Jarule Marrero DOB:11/17/2002 Warrant Issued: 08/02/2022 Warrant Details: Failure to Appear Original Charge: Probation Violation

Name: James Richard Quinn DOB: 05/26/1961 Warrant Issued: 08/03/2022 Warrant Details: Violation of No Contact Order

AUGUST 10, 2022

In the early days, people had a wood stove in the kitchen to cook meals. Because of this, the kitchen was the warmest room in the house on cool and cold days. Thus, the kitchen became a favorite place for gathering with family or visiting a friend or neighbor who stopped by for coffee. The gas or electric range has replaced the wood stove, but the concept is the same.

The kitchen is still my favorite room in the house when it comes to making memories, not just my kitchen.

I’ll never forget the day my granddaughter came into the kitchen and asked, “Mom, why does our house smell like Papa’s house.” I had baked an apple pie at my daughter’s place.

And the first time, I made biscuits with my then three-year-old granddaughter in Waterloo, Iowa. Oh, the memories that come from the kitchen.

Our granddaughters came to spend last weekend with us. It warmed my heart to learn that Addison asked, “Nana Mac, will Papa be making biscuits.” Addison and Evelyn helped; they love pressing the biscuit cutter into the rolled-out dough to make perfectly round biscuits; and sneaking a pinch of dough when they think I’m not looking. We were not just making biscuits; we were making memories they will hold on to long after I am gone.

The plate was piled high with fresh from the oven, warm buttermilk biscuits. I set the plate on the kitchen table. I made a sausage gravy to go with them, but both kids (total carb queens) prefer to eat their biscuits plain.

box. It was heavy, and I knew I hadn’t ordered anything that would weigh that much. “What did your mom buy this “Where is the honey,” time? Bricks?” Nova I inquired.

Mae and I shared a good laugh about “Where it always is, that. I didn’t have my in the cupboard next glasses, so I couldn’t to the stove,” Melissa read the small return replied, as though the address label, but I answer was obvious. could read the big black and white label I was looking in the on the sides: FRAGcupboard, “It’s not ILE. here!” I wasn’t looking for just ordinary I put on my glasses in honey. This honey the kitchen, read the came from our Virgin- return address, and ia friends, Pete, and smiled. “Who is that Karen. They have bee from,” Melissa wanted hives and produce to know. their own home-grown honey. “You used the “This is none of your last of the honey and concern, woman,” I didn’t tell me,” I acsaid, “just go about cused my spouse. your business.” With such a response, she “We ate the rest of naturally stood lookthat honey,” she said. ing over my shoulder “They sent us another as I opened the packjar; it’s in there.” age. I smiled even bigger as I pulled from “That WAS the other the box not one but jar,” I said with alarm! two jars of honey!

So there we were, with a plate full of “You just gotta love homemade buttermilk Pete and Karen,” biscuits but no honey. I said, “Just when we thought we were This offense was far all out, they sent us worse than drinking ‘his and hers’ jars of the last of the milk honey! Obviously, and leaving a jug mine is the bigger jar.” with a few drops in Melissa denied they the fridge. The crime were ‘his and hers’ was more severe than jars, claiming they taking the last roll of had sent US two jars toilet paper from the of honey. (I think she closet and not saying was eyeballing the anything about dobigger jar as well.) ing so. We’re talking about honey, a prized Inside they included possession of pure a card that read, “As liquid gold! promised, here’s some of this year’s The weekend passed, Bee Puke.” We and all survived deshared a good laugh spite our honey deabout that. privation. Sunday afternoon, we sent I learned a valuable the leftover biscuits lesson from our lack home with Addison of honey this past and Evelyn. Afterall, weekend. To avert what’s the sense in such a honey shorthaving biscuits with age in the future, I no honey? fully intend to hide one jar the honey in I walked our dog, the back of my sock Nova Mae, down drawer, where Melisthe road on Monday sa won’t find it. Hopemorning. I waved at fully, I will remember the mail lady as she where I put it; many pulled away from our dogs have buried mailbox. The door bones never to be on the mailbox was found again. hanging open, with a package sticking out. I think I’ll make a “I hope that’s a box of fresh batch, and we’ll dog treats,” Nova said have buttermilk biswith anticipation. cuits and honey for dinner.

“Probably not,” I said to my hopeful canine.

I pulled the package from the mail-