What are you taking to your family reunion?

Bob Marlowe, who lives on Price Hill, has long been known in these parts as the ﾓfrog and turtle manﾔ because he catches several of those reptiles to have on hand for children to enter in the annual Pioneer Days Frog Hop and Turtle Race.

Armed with a hook and some stew beef, Marlowe and Dempsey Sharp, of Buckeye, caught a 37 pound male chelydra serpentina, more commonly known as a snapping turtle, on Locust Creek last week.

Although 37 pounds is Marloweﾒs largest catch, it is not his largest contact.

That came in the Greenbrier River on Steven Hole Run Road in Buckeye.

ﾓThe one at Buckeye was bigger,ﾔ he said. ﾠﾓHis claws were as big as my hand. He jumped up and threw water in my face and disappeared under a tree.ﾔ

Marlowe has nabbed a lot of snapping turtles in the county, using stew beef, or groundhog if he has it.

Several years ago he ﾓcleaned outﾔ a pond on Locust Creek, a pond where the bluegills had disappeared and the bass were ﾓjust skin and bones.ﾔ

ﾓTurtles were eating everything,ﾔ Marlowe said. ﾓI took 62 or 63 turtles out there in two years.ﾔ

Although Marlowe has a load of small turtles for the turtle race on Friday, the big guy will not be participating as he will soon be going ﾖ barbecued ﾖ to the Marlowe family reunion.

ﾓThe best meat is turtle, goat and then deer,ﾔ Marlowe said. ﾓThe meat on the neck and in the back is snow white.ﾔ

And Iﾒm taking his word for it.

Most folks say it tastes like chicken, but chickens are easier to catch.

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Bear with me

Jewell Biggs, who lives on Flemings Hill in Buckeye, has black bear cut-outs in her yard. ﾠAnd several days recently, she has had the real McCoy.

Biggs first saw the little black bear going through her yard to the apple tree. ﾠBut another day as she was loading trash in her vehicle for a trip to the green boxes, she took a quick trip back into the house as she spotted the bear coming through the yard toward the vehicle.

ﾓI ran,ﾔ Biggs said. ﾠﾓI was just gonna let him have the trash.ﾔ

The comings and goings of the little guy have been recorded. ﾠPictures show him strolling down the drive-way, and later sitting, quite contently, under a tree.

The little guy walked down the drive-way, crossed Rt. 219 and made himself at home ﾖ sitting down under a tree.

Jewell Biggs, who lives on Flemings Hill in Buckeye, has black bear cut-outs in her yard. And several days recently, she has had the real McCoy.

Biggs first saw the little black bear going through her yard to the apple tree. But another day as she was loading trash in her vehicle for a trip to the green boxes, she took a quick trip back into the house as she spotted the bear coming through the yard toward the vehicle.

"I ran," Biggs said. "I was just gonna let him have the trash."

The comings and goings of the little guy have been recorded. Pictures show him strolling down the drive-way, and later sitting, quite contently, under a tree.

The little guy walked down the drive-way, crossed Rt. 219 and made himself at home - sitting down under a tree.

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