Sunday, July 16, 2006

Loser!

I know I never published any pics of NY pride and I do apologize as I've been busy and still haven't even processed the film. I'll make a darn good attempt to do so this week...really!

In other news, a little something I brought home from NY was a couple of hatchling red-ear slider turtles. They're illegal for pet stores to sell anymore...used to raise them all the time as a kid. Well brought two home and lost one this morning. Looks like upper-respiratory, I was really saddened by this and we buried him/her properly. I was worried with that one from the jump as it just didn't eat near as well as the smaller one. I was hoping he was just going through a settling/dormant period but he passed this morning.

So I've been online to determine if the second is in jeopardy. From all that I've read and given its behavior, we are good. Feel bad as he has no playmate so when I go back in September, I'll likely be bringing home another. I've a pond on the side of my home that I dug out and cleaned up however it looks like I'll be digging a new hole and fencing off the area for in about a year or two I'll be housing the turtles there.

I would like to incorporate a box turtle...not tortoises, as they get way too large for my space and definitely too heavy for me to be lifting about. But box turtles; that would be fun. Climate is perfect for it.

After all the research and reading I've done for pond structure etc., I've found my hobby. It was one of mine LONG ago as a grade-schooler. I really enjoyed my box turtles and sliders alike. There's something about creating the garden and pen and making a home and watching nature in motion. Maybe its just this nurturing thing in me, I don't know?

Anywho...as this process gets established, I'll be posting pics to show the progress and how they grow. The two were actually a gift for the 10 year old's b-day. She loved the hermit crabs she'd had for the last few years but when the last two passed she was told by her mom, my partner, no more. I saw those little green faces while we were in the city and pleaded to her sympathetic ear.

I think it will be a lot of fun (not only for me, alright!?) for the 9 and 10 year old to work on this project with me. They'll get to learn about the habitat and watch the turtles develop. I'm certainly looking forward to it, lol.

4 comments:

•♥•m•♥• said...

so......this means we are not going to be sneaking down to the zoo's wateredge again???? LOL I often wonder how my little guys are doin'......Im so sorry U lost one...U know me.....it'd be in the freeze!! hahaha

Malifacent said...

no, as matter of fact, I read it was really not good to send them off in the wild. Something about interfereing with existing cliques and eco-stuff. Yea, I've a little pet cemetery on the side of the house now - two birds and one turtle.

•♥•m•♥• said...

yeah....but as I remember ....we had that "getting back to our roots" turtle daycamp that we sent them all to ....prior to 'taking them to teh zoo'....LOL

Dont you remember how my little guy was looking back at me and wouldnt go....but the girl ....shot out of the container and didnt even look back! it broke my heart!

Malifacent said...

getting back to roots, huh? Too funny. Hey, I had no idea it was a bad thing. Now I do and we're both educated on the subject so now we know, right? Twitch, I think that's his name, is doing great. Eats like a mad dog.