Just Bein A Turtle

There are not many adventures to talk about this week… so, I thought I would just say what’s on my mind.  I’m just bein’ a Turtle after all.

I swim around a lot.  I like to floa and sometimes, as you know, you will catch me basking upon my rocks.  What you don’t realize is the tenacity with which I hunt.  I’m a hunting prowess if you must know.

Mostly I hunt for leftover food in my terrarium.  I like to dig in the rocks to see if there is anything interesting to find.  Other times I am caught playing with cranberries leftover from treat time.  Lately, I haven’t had any fish to chase because apparently the feed store hasn’t had any.  Phewey!  

My human won’t buy goldfish for me anymore in case I don’t eat them.  She already transferred Ralph and Sophia into their own tank, but they are outgrowing that too.  Now she tells me she may put them back in here.  That could keep me occupied.  Even while Ralph is nearly as big as me now, I wouldn’t mind chasing him out of my way at feeding time.  The goldfish both always think it’s their food!

I just hope we get another turtle some day.  I really hope Spencer shows back up, but if he doesn’t I will get lonely enough to be glad for a friend.  Even if Spencer does show up, it would be neat to have a little baby floating around.

Otherwise, I got some new plants the other day.  They were neat, kind of like tiny little floating clovers that I was apparently supposed to eat.  My human put them right in front of my face… but the thing is, I don’t really like most stuff she tries to feed me.  I like shrimp and meal worms though, they are yummy!

Finally, to close up - just a few more words on loneliness to wrap up from last week - it may not be something that should make us sad.  Yes, I get lonely since Spencer disappeared but I realize too that I’ve done this before.  Furthermore, we should all have alone time now and then.  It’s a good time to be self reflective and disciplined.  For you humans at least.  I don’t need any discipline… I’m just a turtle…

My human keeps me entertained enough in the meantime so that I’m not going to be lonely - don’t you worry about me - I just wanted to make mention of the loneliness factor again because it’s kind of an important topic… People get lonely.  I’ve seen it in my own human.  Depression can set in over something like this and it’s important to understand that you are never lonely in this world.  

There is a powerful universe surrounding you which will provide you with all you ever wanted if you don’t let yourself become lonely.  Find something to keep yourself occupied.  You could write, or read - the obvious choices for a couple of nerds like my human and myself - or you could color or paint.  Enjoy an expensive glass of wine.  Soak up this life!  Every moment matters, whether you’re with someone or not.

Remember - I am wise beyond my years with the experience that comes of being a reptile.  Pay attention here - Just be YOU!

Home Alone

It’s been just over a week since Spencer went missing.  We are still looking for him.  Rather my human looks for him a little while every day.  It’s so weird, he’s just gone.  

So now I’m just floating around the tank all by my lonesome.  It’s not all so bad, I’ve been here alone before.  It’s just strange.  I used to be the one to be floating in the water all the time while Spencer hung out on the rocks.  Now I climb to the top of the rocks where he used to go and see the room from his view.  I imagine if he is found my human will modify this space again so that we both have more room to bask at the same time.  She’s always modifying things.

It does kind of stink being lonely.  There is nobody to share my thoughts with - even though Spencer and I don’t speak, we had our own conversations.  Now there is nobody to bump into when I’m swimming around.  Nobody to compete with when it’s feeding time.  Nobody to love me.

Well, that last part is not entirely true.  My human loves me, obviously.  Einstein the cat still likes me enough to sit upon the desktop where he can watch me swimming sometimes.  It’s just not the same as having someone next to me all the time.  Spencer really loved me.  Now I miss the way he would flutter his flippers in front of my face.  I usually ignored him when he did that.  Maybe if he is found, I will pay closer attention to him.

Its weird when you lose someone or something close to your heart.  There becomes a void that never goes away.  It slowly fades into something that was just there before and is not now, but there is always an emptiness that comes with this absence.

For now we continue to pray that Spencer is either found or safe at very least.  We are missing him and remembering all the fun times we had together.  Reminiscing is a safe way to keep his memory alive.

As the saying goes - if he was meant to be ours he will come back to us, if not, he was never ours in the first place.

The Saga of the Lost Turtle

Spencer went missing yesterday!  We are are so sad.  My human brought us out into the yard to play and even while she was specifically keeping her eye on Spencer, he simply got away.  

This is a tragedy for my human.  I’m okay.  A little confused yes, but alas, I am a turtle and I shall live out my long years wondering what Spencer got himself into if he is not found.

It was apparent that my human was in utter shambles when he got away.  She was sitting right there practically watching him escape and as she gave him a few seconds before she got up to capture him… by the time she got to where he should have been, he just wasn’t there.  He wasn’t anywhere.  

See, contrary to popular belief, turtles can actually move quite fast.  We can also climb things, sideways even, and pull off other strange contortions that one may not think turtles could.  We are diggers and explorers and it is just any wonder where Spencer could be.

This is quite the unfortunate event, though my human doesn’t just give up on things like this.  That little turtle needs to get found.  I’ve already figured out what she’s doing when she’s taking water from the tank.  She’s setting up a trap for him outside where he may come looking for water.  I hope he comes looking for water.  I hope he knows where he is in relation to the yard and turns around comes home.  I wonder if he can smell the water from our tank.  I hope he can.  

There is good news and bad news for Spencer being out in the elements.  Thank goodness its summertime so he won’t freeze to death at night but there are raccoons around here and they would love a tasty treat like a turtle.  The good news is that if he isn’t found by a predator, he can live up to a month or more on his own out in the wild, even without anything to eat or drink.  That’s pretty amazing!

So for now, we are mourning the loss of a dear friend… we are praying that he is found safe and sound.  We will be looking for him daily until the search becomes utterly fruitless.  

Dear, Dear Spencer… what a little rascal.

Piggy Piggy Turtles

We love to eat!

Our human starves us!  Someone help!

Just kidding.  She feeds us well.  In fact, she just said I was fat yesterday.  While I don’t appreciate that, she’s right.  The fact is, Spencer and I are turtles and turtles love to explore and engage in things.  Most especially, food.  We love to eat things that we might find floating among our tank.  Or things that we see at the bottom of the tank.  Every so often there are ants crawling on our rocks… Spencer tries to eat them too.  There’s probably some good protein there.  Nonetheless - the point is this - we may look like turtles but we eat like pigs!  Or rather we would if our human allowed us.

For those of you visiting for the first time, perhaps I should elaborate.  I am merely one year old and I have grown five inches in that time.  Seems a lot being that I will only reach 13 inches at most, full grown… I’m six inches long right now.  

Spencer is smaller than I but he is already getting fat too.  

It must be difficult for our human to resist feeding us when we scratch and scrape at the side of the tank, practically screaming for her to feed us.  Like we’re starving.  It’s really great when she gives in and throws us a few shrimp.  I think I heard her say something to the other human about getting us some new guppies!  Yippee!  That will be sooo yummy.

It should be a good lesson for the human not to feed us everytime we beg.  It’s like giving in to a child and she could really use the practice for her own will power anyway.  Just because we act hungry does not mean we actually are.  Most likely we are only bored and looking for some attention.  

So the human says we’re piggy piggy turtles but really we’re just looking for a good time.  Perhaps now that summer is here we will be allowed to spend more time outside.  This will be good exercise and extra vitamin D!  

On another note - here’s a little reminder for you to check me and Spencer out on Periscope Friday nights at 7pm PST.  You can find and follow my human on Twitter @Scarlet_Nathan.  

See for yourself… we beg like begging little beggars.  Ask questions and see how cute we are!

 

Redundancy

I’m just hanging out this week - not too much to say but a few words on redundancy.  I picked this topic because, well, it’s kind of a reflection of my life.   

I swim, I eat, I hang out with Spencer.  Sometimes I climb upon the rocks to take a bask.  Every day my human feeds us at morning and night.  Once in a while she brings us outside to play in the grass.  She lets us out in the house every now and again.  This gives us a chance to explore and get out of the tank to dry ourselves some.

Anyway, pretty boring, you think?  Well, you thought wrong.  My life may be redundant from day to day but I am a turtle after all.  Slow is how we roll.  I happen to think we live an extraordinary adventure each moment we are alive.

So let’s talk about redundancy then - you’re definition of the word is probably far different than mine because you see, I am a species born of instinct and intuition.  Therefore to be redundant is merely my life cycle.  

You may notice redundancy in your life from time to time.  Waking up, eating, eating again and again, and going to sleep each day - something about showers and brushing your teeth probably fits in there.  Nonetheless, this is redundant behavior, no?

Well - the dictionary defines “Redundant” as something being ‘in excess’.  There are obviously a few definitions to correctly utilize the word, but in this case - allow me to be redundant here - haha - we must use the word in its correct context.  My life cannot be considered redundant because my life is natural.  In a natural state of being, however, does my life fit the definition?  Redundantly so!

I know this may be getting confusing.  Believe me, I was confused by my own thoughts on this as well.  Its funny you see because I am living a life that fits the definition by form but in other words, breaks the definition down completely to mean nothing at all.  

Turtles live lives that resemble repetition, apparently this difference between repetition and redundancy makes for a confusing relation of the words.  Let us define “Repetition” then as ‘the act of repeating’ or ‘repeated action’.  So, don’t these words fit the same category within each other?  

Not really.  The reason for this differential is because of the fine lines in each definition.  To be redundant would be behavior that continues forth without necessity.  Whereas to be repetitive without excess is merely continuous behavior.  

Still confused?  Okay - let me sum this up.  I am a turtle what do I really know - these are just my reflections from the pond.  Otherwise, I urge you to practice with definition in your life.  Know what you say when you say it and understand that when you say something, people think you mean it.  Don’t become redundant nor repetitive in your speech.  Words are important - they mean something.  Be sure you know what they mean before you make assumption or judgement upon behavior, especially.  Know the difference between things like redundancy and repetition.  Notice the definition of a word before you use it.  

Recognize what you say when you mean it and what you mean when you say it.  This results in the reflection of any situation to be a lot more positive.  Just think of the peaceful turtle pond - redundant, repetitive, whatever it may be - it’s steady nonetheless.

Moving On

Well, Spencer and I have taken over our space.  I have grown SO fast and adding Spencer to the tank has prompted my human to upgrade.

So, we got a new 55 gallon tub with a super duper filter!  And some bigger rocks!  And more room to swim around!  It is just awesome!  

Can you tell how excited I am?  My human can.  Spencer and I have so much water in here… we are swimming in every direction.  Right, Left, Sideways, Up and down!  This is GREAT!  Spencer even swam backwards - haha.

As it may have been mentioned before, aquatic turtles require a sufficient habitat to meet the distinct needs we would have in nature (as does any turtle in captivity).  This includes plenty of space for us to dive around.

Our new tank is sixteen inches deep with water and at least as wide.  The best part, it is long.  The length of the tank far exceeds the depth and width by probably double, and this still is not even the best part.  The best part is we are by the window, in the corner of the room.  Now we can see everything that happens in here and sometimes we might even catch the sight of a passing bird outside.  How cool, right?!  I also look forward to the natural scent of the outdoors blowing in.

Mostly, this tank is like a real pond.  We are digging it!  I think my favorite part is floating at the top and then realizing I have all this extra space below me.  Or else my favorite new thing will be to swim behind these gigantic rocks, to explore.  This new territory is exactly what I was hoping for.

Now, if we could just have a few plants, I would probably be the happiest turtle on planet earth.  Well, except for Spencer.  He’s pretty happy too.  But does he really count as a turtle?   I haven’t decided yet.  Whatever planet he comes from, I bet they don’t have the coolest humans to build indoor ponds there.  Therefore, I could be the happiest turtle in the whole universe!  

I can’t wait to see what kind of habitat we get when we’re full grown.

Spencer's Tale

Well, last week I introduced you to Spencer.  Let us this week then, focus on his story some.

Spencer’s tail is way longer than mine.  He must be a boy.  Boy turtles have longer tails and claws than female turtles.  This is true among most species but predominant in ours.  At first I thought he just wasn’t grown into his shell enough.  I wondered what was wrong with him… then he started fluttering his flippers in front of my face and I knew better.  I fluttered right back of course, but after a while I gave up.  He can flirt with me all he wants, I like him enough.

Nonetheless, his neck is longer than mine too.  He is a spindly little character.  Very pretty though.  I mean, I’m pretty, he is too.

He likes bananas …. I wonder why.  My human has tried to feed them to me before but they are un-interesting.  Spencer likes everything.  He likes me a lot.  He REALLY likes the terrarium where we live.  I can’t think of anything that he doesn’t seem to like.  He’s a pretty cool guy.

 

As for his size, he better step up.  I’m about twice as big as he is, yet he is probably twice my age.  I’m unsure how old he is, but I know he is older than me because he keeps trying to play this mating game.  I won’t mate until I’m older, perhaps between the ages of 5-8.  Spencer must be going on about three years old and therefore he’s ready to mate up.  I ain’t having it, not now, not ever!  Ha.  I’m sure my human however would just love to hatch some baby turtles someday!

Otherwise, Spencer is just a turtle with a story to tell just as the rest of us.  I will share his thoughts here from time to time.  Basically, since he lives with me now, this will kind of become OUR story… but I get to keep the name of the blog.  Hehe.  I’m special like that.