Renee Ruins Princeton

Living in rural Princeton, IN, there wasn't a lot to do. There were two ponds nearby where we regularly went fishing. That was about the only thing to do. Sometimes we'd catch a fish and a turtle would go after it and we'd end up catching a turtle instead. So we started collecting turtles. We'd take them home and keep them in an old washtub in our backyard. I think we were up to 8 when they escaped. The next day, the most horrible smell was everywhere. My mom thought it had to do with the turtles. She thought we had dead turtles hidden somewhere stinking up the place. And she blamed Renee. So we frantically searched high and low for dead turtles and nothing. The smell kept getting worse. Later that day, we drove into town and the smell was even more awful there than at our place. It was overwhelming. Renee had not only ruined our house with those 8 runaway turtles, but she'd stunk up all of Princeton!!! Well, not actually. Someone advised my mom it was hog slopping season causing that smell and the stench of dead pig would go away in about a week. Poor Nay. She really thought it was all her fault.



We never trapped turtles again after that experience, just to be safe. We didn't want the stink of pig slaughter to return.