A drenching storm passed through here this afternoon, and once it had passed, Irene and I stepped outside to check whether any trees or large branches had come down, as sometimes happens when it gets wet and windy.

We didn’t get far, because here’s who we found no more than a dozen feet from our back deck.

Until I knelt to snap its picture, its neck protruded and all four feet were out, so I was obviously making it nervous, even though I tried to stay down at its level and made no threatening gestures. I retreated and watched from a distance until it was comfortable enough to start moving again.

This has been our best year ever for encountering turtles in the wild. (Well, not counting all those we came across in Tokyo’s ponds last year.) I think I’ve spotted at least six this summer, each at a different spot on our property or the adjacent road.