As the weather has warmed up and the sun has started to shine a bit more brightly, Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta) have emerged from the mud at the bottom of the ponds at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. These turtles used whatever objects they could find to pull themselves out of the water and bask in the sunlight. Sometimes their shells are washed clean of mud, but, as you can see in the final photo, some of the turtles were still covered in mud when I photographed them last week.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Love this! Our local pond is still very cold and wintery but I always love when the turtles make an appearance in summer.
Don’t you just do enjoy them? I know I do!Blue Rock HorsesFrederick County, Virginiabluerockhorses.com
I am in total agreement with you. 🙂
Darling!
Thanks. I too long for the warmth of the sun–it’s been a long gray winter.