Monday, September 15, 2008

It's time for turtles to come indoors for the night...

When temperatures drop this time of year,  the turtles have to come indoors for the night.  I should haul them to their winter tanks in the basement but it's such a pain doing that every night and then every morning hauling them back up. Those two turtles are about twenty pounds each and one of them (guess) will start kicking me because he like to do things himself.  So at this transitional time of year, I usually let them spend the night upstairs and then put them back outdoors in the morning. Cathy usually finds some place in the kitchen to sleep at night.

But Michael likes to determine for himself which sleeping spot is the finest spot in the house. It takes him a while but usually he goes to sleep under my bedside table...it just has to be pushed away from the wall jusssssst right.

Bedroom, living room, dining room...it might take a few hours to find the best room and spot before he eventually settles down. 

And off he goes...

Why walk around a cat food or water bowl when you can walk right over them?

And if that woman gets in your way...


You don't have to walk around her either. Just keep pushing until she moves out of your way. (Like I've said in previous posts, there is no compromise when it comes to Michael Ray. I moved.)

Michael Ray eventually settled down to go to sleep by the front door. He knows all about doors and the concept of hinges and if you keep pushing on a certain side of a door, it might open. It happened once, it might happen again.  I'm sure he's dreaming of that big escape this very minute. That was an exciting day. It even made the news.

6 comments:

The Weaver of Grass said...

Hello! I have just found your blog through reading Country Girl. I love it! Your lad turtle sounds such a character. As a textile artist I just love his shell - the patterns are wonderful. Really enjoyed my visit.

Mental P Mama said...

Those turtles floor me...do you think they know how lucky they are?

Crafty Green Poet said...

I've just found your blog too and enjoyed browsing, you've got some wonderful photos and these turtles look very sweet...

Maria said...

The weaver of grass-Aw, the lad turtle. I love that description. And it rhymes with his other descriptions (mad and bad!). :-)

MP Mama-I don't think "lucky" is in these two particular turtle's heads-these two just don't think that way. Personally, I think they're lucky that I don't give them spankings every day. Many years ago I had a turtle Lucy (and I'll write about him one of these days) who was the perfect gentleman turtle (Lucy turned out to be a boy, not a girl as the petshop thought). I still really miss him. He was such an exceptional old soul. He had a crush on someone at work (when I occasionally brought him to work, he liked to spend the day in her booth). He also liked to hang out with my two cats and sleep with them in the overturned yarn basket in the closet. He was an amazingly smart, thoughtful, mannerful turtle who was able to communicate with me if I slowed down and looked at things at his speed. He used to like to run through sprinklers. I had to really slow down to figure that one out. One day I was watching him crisscross the yard while the sprinkler was going. I thought that was odd because turtles usually don't march out in the open like that. He spent an hour crisscrossing the yard until I figured out that he was "running" through a sprinkler at HIS speed, not mine.

Oh- And as for turtles "flooring" you, Michael Ray nearly floored me when I was taking those pictures. Turtles can push really hard when there is something in their way. Turtles are made up of nothing but a hard shell with muscle underneath...and a lot of determination/stubbornness. If you're ever charged by a turtle, just move out of their way because you won't win that contest. I've seen Cathy Jean try to knock down an 80 year old elm that she considered in her way. Turtles have exceptionally developed egos.

Crafty green poet-Sweet? Oh you obviously have not read enough of my blog. Ha ha ha. :-D

Country Girl said...

I had no idea they were that big! And I do like what Grass Weaver calls Michael Ray. Your lad turtle. Your lad and your lass, then Eh?

Cool.

Maria said...

Country Girl-'Fraid so. They're that big.

I like the lad and lass names too, if only they were deserving of such cute names. It's after midnight and they still have not settled down to go to sleep yet. Errrgh.