Dreams from my Father....

Merry Christmas!

Guess what, it got down to 35 degrees last night, quite unexpectedly, so my tortoise mom got up and checked the thermometer reading for my burrow in the night. It was 48 degrees; ok, but a little cool. So she decided it's time I get a little extra warmth from Christmas lights at the entrance of my burrow. Just in time for Christmas!





This is a far cry from where I was exactly two years ago. It was nice to check out the Christmas tree back then, but I'm really glad to be extra snug in my burrow now (52 degrees, perfect!). I am absolutely not an indoor tortoise, even during rehab from surgery. Anyway I'm really grateful to be cozy in my burrow, especially with a little extra warmth coming from my own Christmas lights. They even wrapped them up so there's no light to wake me up. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good, long night!

Deja Vu All Over Again!

I thought I was off the hook with soaking this time, but evidently my tortoise mom had second thoughts. She was worried about my kidneys, especially after comparing my pre-hibernation lab work from 2011 to 2010 (urates increased from 7.1 to 9.8!). So she came up with a new plan for soaking me today. All I know is I was peacefully sleeping away when suddenly I heard my tortoise dad's voice as he pulled me out of my toasty burrow AGAIN, then I got weighed AGAIN (still 3161 grams), and then put in the soaking pan like usual. Except this time it was slanted so my butt was at the low end. Then they added just enough water to make sure my cloaka was completely covered. My tortoise dad called it a butt puddle. Then they did something else that's new: they covered me with a dark cloth so I wouldn't be disturbed by sunlight, even on this rainy, gloomy day.



The only good news I can report about this new strategy is at least I could snooze during my 15 minutes of soaking as my head stayed high and dry. And when they weighed me afterwards, I did gain 10 grams this time (3171 grams). But I still thought it was a rude experience and so I gave them my "What the HeQQ?" look when they uncovered my head at the end of soaking. But I must say, they are fast at reweighing and scooting me back into the burrow.



Whew! Glad that's over for another two weeks. Glad I soaked up a little more water this time, and I'm really glad my tortoise mom and dad do all they can to help me hibernate safely this winter even though I don't like it one bit. But I didn't like this new burrow either, and now I must admit it's really comfy this winter, especially since Tortellini helped dig it out some more for me so about half my shell sits below floor level. Warm, dry, dark and quiet, mmm, the best place for a tortoise to spend Winter Solstice. Zzzzzz....

Tortoise Dreams (by Grandma's Tortoise Mom)

Poor Grandma! This business of soaking her during hibernation, per Dr. Johnson's orders, is giving poor Grandma bad dreams. You can tell by this soaking experience on Nov. 18 that she's asleep and wondering what's going on. The water was room temperature, but a little too deep so she couldn't hold her head up and kept dropping it into the water and blowing bubbles out her nose when she snorted awake. Also we realized that we only knew her weight after soaking, so had no idea if she was actually taking water into her bladder through her cloaka. Note to self: do better next time.



Two weeks later, December 4, we weighed Grandma before soaking, then used just enough water in the soaking pan to cover her cloaka for 20 minutes. It was 51 degrees outside and 53 degrees inside her burrow, so not a temperature shock to her system. We used room temperature water and tried not to disturb her with light or noise, including my voice. I'm sure you know she always perks up when she hears my voice. So we whispered and kept her in the shade. But it was still a rude experience and at one point she looked up at me like she was having a very bad dream.





Then we carefully dried her off, weighed her again, and discovered she had only "gained" 7 grams. We're not even sure that's water that made it to her bladder! It could be just what we couldn't gently dry off of her. Note to self: check her starting weight next time and then decide what's best for her. Maybe a call to Dr. Johnson?



Here she is all dried off and ready to go back into the winter burrow two weeks ago. Not exactly like going to the spa, but we did our best to help her. She didn't have such a tough time today so she can tell you all about it herself (see below). Thanks for letting me fill in a little for her. Love, Tortoise Mom

Time flies when you're sleeping.... (yawn) by Grandma

It looks like I aced today's weigh-in that my tortoise mom and dad put me through every two weeks. Usually I have to be SOAKED too. Oh the humanity!!! But they started weighing me before and after soaking and noticed that it's just not effective, and might even be stressing me into losing more weight. For instance, two weeks ago, I weighed at 3161 grams fresh from the burrow, with my eyes still shut tight. Then after a 20-minute soak, I weighed 3168 -- only 7 grams! I could be hiding that in my lady turtleneck or in my, ahem, bikini area. Anyway, it's likely no actual water is hitting my bladder because my cloaka is shut just as tight as my eyelids.

So my tortoise mom and dad reviewed my weight history and decided that this soaking business isn't helping and might even be stressing me by disturbing me so much. When I soaked back in November, I couldn't hold my head out of the water as I was so sleepy so they vowed to use less water next time, and also to weigh me before soaking to see how much water I was actually taking in. Anyway I weighed 3180 grams after soaking on November 18. But then I weighed 3161 grams when they checked me two weeks later. So maybe soaking makes me LOSE water instead of taking it in? Whatever it is, I'm just so glad I got to skip soaking today.

So now I'm back in my burrow, tucked way in the back where I've been digging in. The burrow is staying a steady 51-55 degrees even though the outside temperature dropped to 31 degrees a few times. And I'm staying dry despite getting 1.5 inches of rain this week, but the burrow is well insulated with dirt and the opening is sealed with wood and foam to keep cold air and water from getting in.

All in all, it's good to be a tortoise right now. In this burrow, I'm definitely more snug than a bug in a rug.

The good, the bad, the downright ugly

Sorry I've been away so long. A lot has happened and I got in a funk and decided to tunnel deep into the old burrow and pretend I could stay there all winter, like that was going to work. Nope, not a chance. Now I'm sitting in my new winter pen with the new, shallow burrow and that's where I'm spending the winter. I alternate between being huffy about it and just tucking in the new burrow and pretending I'm where I want to be.

The good news is that when I went in for my pre-hibernation check up, I had gained weight. First time ever that Dr. Johnson rated my weight as normal and healthy. Yay! My beak was green, my scales looked good and I was acting very perky and alert, like a healthy tortoise. So Dr. Johnson said I wouldn't have to sit in my soaking pan, that I could just drink when I want to, whenever they run the hose near me. I like this news a lot! You know how I feel about that soaking pan.



The bad news came just three days later: the lab report on my blood work says I have elevated inflammation markers (herophils, lymphocytes, WBC), elevated calcium (wrong season for that), and elevated uric acid which means my kidneys are working extra hard. So Dr. Johnson delivered the disappointing news that once again (!) I can't hibernate in my favorite deep burrow as my tortoise mom and dad will have to monitor my condition all winter. Hibernation is a tricky time and could be hazardous to my health. So I have to hibernate in the new, shallow burrow so my tortoise dad can pull me out every two weeks to check my weight. Any weight loss means trouble and an urgent visit to Dr. Johnson. We did that last winter. But this winter, since my uric acid is also high, I have to get soaked for 20 minutes every two weeks too, to take some stress off my kidneys. Back to the blue soaking pan. Every two weeks. All. Winter. Long.

Ok, now for the ugly news: in the Spring, I will have endoscopy to see what's causing this "consistent blood abnormality". Dr. Johnson strongly suspects a problem in my reproductive tract. If he's right, and I have an ovarian cyst or tumor, that means - shudder - that means another "open-shell surgery". Oh no, not AGAIN!!! Do I need a trap door on my carapace? Hinges? Geezzzzz!

So that's why I marched into the old burrow a few weeks ago, and refused to come out. My Tortoise Dad could see my face but I was sleepy and not interested in coming out. My tortoise mom knew I had to come out of the old burrow before I was too sleepy to crawl out on my own, so last Sunday she spent a long time with a strawberry slice on a wooden spatula and her arm stuck as far into the burrow as she could get it. Then she talked and sang to me until I perked up at her voice (you know how I love her voice), yawned, looked around and noticed the strawberry. Guess what? She knows how to go "fishing" for a tortoise. Here's the proof:







Once I was close enough to the entrance, my Tortoise Dad pulled me out and sat me in the grass. I thought I was living large with strawberry tops, shredded carrots, cool grass and a drink of water. Yay, life is good after all.




But THEN, when I started walking back to the old burrow, suddenly I found myself plopped down in a new winter pen instead. WHAT??? Oh I did not like this ONE BIT! My Tortoise Dad put me in the new shallow burrow but I was having none of that. So I marched right back out and tucked my head in the corner of the fence and flipped dirt all over my shell to register my displeasure. Well it didn't matter, they left me there anyway. The next day I sat begging at the gate and my Tortoise Mom felt sorry for me so gave me a little treat to soften the blow, but I've had nothing since as it's time to clear out my digestive tract for the winter. She also gave me a pep talk about getting bad medical news, but still having another chance at life. Ok, I know that's true. I just don't want to have another surgery. But I do know it's time to have the endoscopy to find out what's causing all my bad blood work. I really want to get well, and if I have a big untreated problem, then it could contribute to getting another bladder stone. YIKES! I do not want that either!!

Well I'm sorry I don't have all good news. It's disappointing when we've all worked so hard for exactly two years now, but obviously something still is going on with me. This afternoon I decided to make the best of it. I came out of the burrow and they weighed me. I weighed 3320 grams. I ate a little grass and then I got a big long drink when they soaked me in that crummy blue pan. Anyway drinking and soaking usually makes me "express my bladder" so that's what I did. I did a good job too, complete with lots of urates. I did such a good job they weighed me again and I weighed 3230. Yep, I expressed 90 grams of urates, about three ounces of prevention....

Close call

This morning was a bit cooler so I was sitting under the little leaf cordia when I heard my tortoise mom talking to me. I was hoping she had lots of desert willow flowers for me, so I was in kind of a hurry to get my breakfast. Anyway I took the shortest route, which meant climbing up and then sliding down the side of the new burrow. All of a sudden, I let out a hiss as I flipped over on my back and slid down the bank, under the branches of the cordia. My tortoise mom heard me, so I got rescued right away. It was a little scary but I forgot about it as soon as I saw the flowers she had for me.

(Actual accident scene in upper left of photo)


But this explains why my tortoise dad found Tortellini in almost the same place a few weeks ago. She had been struggling upside down for a little while and was very stressed and upset. No one could figure out what had happened to her, but now we know that the side of the new burrow is too steep so we can flip ourselves over easily. So our tortoise dad will fix it today.

Tortoises are excellent climbers and thrive in rocky hillsides. But going downhill is always harder, and it is easy to flip over when places are too steep. So you have to look at the yard with a tortoise-eye view. That burrow mound didn't look too steep until I veered off to the side and then it turned into a dangerous situation in a hurry. We can't survive for very long when we are flipped upside down. If the sun doesn't overheat and kill us in a hurry, then the stress of carrying all our weight directly on our lungs will do it for sure.

Whew, that was a close call. Now both Tortellini and I have been rescued from the same place for the same reason. Thanks for tortoise-proofing the yard for us, Tortoise Dad, so we won't have any more life-threatening accidents. These things can happen so easily. It's a good thing my mind quickly switched to eating flowers or I could have PTSD. Ok, back to thinking about delicious flowers... (shudder)

Adios, August!

After surviving the hottest August on record (seriously), we awoke this morning to just enough rain to leave dark splotches on our dusty shells. But it was cloudy for a change, so I could venture out from under the Little Leaf Cordia to graze on grass and hope some flowers would magically fall from the desert willow tree. They finally did, but only because my tortoise mom picked them for me. For some reason, the desert willow tree with darker pink flowers doesn't produce as many flowers as the lighter pink variety, and they don't drop on the ground either. They just shrivel up, still stuck on the tree. So my tortoise dad planted this new tree for me in 2009 after I had my surgery, but now my tortoise mom has to pick the flowers. It's not the automatic tortoise feeder like the old tree, but at least it still puts on flowers. The Mexican Evening Primrose and verbena finally fried up in this "excessive heat," and other plants are burned and brown. August didn't used to be like this here. It rained every afternoon and it cooled off at night. Not any more!

My tortoise mom tried to soak me while I was busy eating flowers under the desert willow this morning. The drip emitters were watering the tree and she added a slow running hose in hopes I'd soak a little without putting up a fuss. Let's face it, she was hoping I wouldn't notice that my cloaka was taking in water, the most direct route to my bladder. But the water wasn't deep enough, and really, I'm not tolerating that soaking business even if it is in a tree well instead of my blue soaking pan. I have my standards!



My weight goes up and down depending on whether I've had a good drink and/or "expressed" my bladder, which means flushing out the urates that cause bladder stones along with urine. So on Monday, another 116 degree day, my tortoise mom was alarmed that my weight had dropped to 3120 grams, a new low for the summer. She was really afraid the heat was hurting me. But bright and early on Tuesday, I let her know I wanted a drink from the hose, and I really tanked up. When she weighed me, I was at 3303 grams. That's only a few ounces, but it shows that things are moving in and out as they should.

Anyway I happily drank from the hose, with my face in the water. Oooh, so cool and refreshing! Did you know that tortoises don't drink standing water? We need fresh, running water. So that's why not having rain all summer with this record heat has really been so hard. If we ever do get rain, we will be so happy! Tortellini and I always know when it's going to rain ahead of time, and we sniff the ground looking for rain water. I hope that happens before hibernation. We only have a few more weeks to really tank up for winter. By early October we stop eating so that our digestive systems will be empty during hibernation. We don't want any undigested food sitting around all winter!

Weighty matters

If urates were gold, my tortoise parents could have my vet bills covered for life!

When I said I outdid myself last night by drinking and expressing my bladder so it flushed out the urates, I was not kidding. Those urates must weigh a lot because I weigh 116 grams LESS this morning than just two days ago. Yikes! Who knew a bladder flush could add up to so much weight? (4 common ounces)

So it's obvious there's a lot of variation in my weight depending on what I've been up to. Back when I was tube feeding, a meal would equal 100 grams. And to keep things simple, so could a healthy poop. Equilibrium!

Well I'm not upset about this weight loss. Losing urates is a very good thing. Two years ago I was hauling around a bladder stone that Dr. Johnson said accounted for 1/10 of my total weight. Shudder. So I think flushing out 4 ounces of urates last night is a very good thing. I have to work hard at it because Dr. Johnson says some tortoises, especially urban tortoises, tend to make bladder stones. We don't know if it's diet, access to water or just genetics, but now that we know I have that high risk factor, we stay on top of it with soaking to promote bladder flushes and check-ups with Dr. Johnson. He can actually feel stones when they're smaller and remove them without invasive surgery. My goal, of course, is to not form another stone if I can help it. So I'm a soaking/flushing tortoise now. Who says a tortoise (of a certain age) can't learn new healthy habits? You can see what I'm trying to prevent here.

Did you know that tortoises don't drink standing water? That's why we come out if there's a chance of rain. Oh we love rainwater! We'll sip it right off the patio or when it collects in the grass. And then we store it in our special bladders that take in water from the mouth and from the cloaka. When rain comes so infrequently in the desert, it's a handy thing to be able to tank up from both ends!

The rest of the time we get water from our food and store it all until the next rain. That's why picking up a tortoise in the wild can kill them as they will flush their bladder in an attempt to protect themselves. Then the bladder is empty and they might not survive until the next rain. They don't get to soak like I do.

Grazing again!

It's been a very hot, tough couple of months and I haven't felt perky enough to graze on the grass in the yard. I either didn't come out of the burrow at all for days on end or I just sat under the Little Leaf Cordia and nibbled on dried flowers. My tortoise mom picked Desert Willow flowers for me, which I love, but that's not enough food for an adult tortoise. So I haven't been blogging and I hadn't gained any weight at all. My tortoise mom was really worried. She even coaxed me into eating a little romaine and kale while waiting for Dr. Johnson to call back last week, but he said they don't offer enough fiber so that ended that. My best bet is eating grass which has the right amount of protein, vitamins and fiber to pack on the pounds for hibernation.

Anyway, I started feeling better in the last few days and I've been coming out of the burrow to eat grass again. My tortoise mom was so happy when she found out I had gained 30 grams in just two days. Finally some progress and normal eating behavior! I know I have to tank up so they'll let me hibernate outdoors again this winter. No one wants me to have to stay indoors all winter again. So I'm eating again, but much slower than Tortellini, so I stay out in the yard longer to make up for it. She, of course, is at an ideal weight and lack of appetite has never been her problem. In fact, if she went shopping, it would have to be at Tortoise Shells Big & Tall.

Dr. Johnson rates my weight at 2.5 on a 1-5 scale with 1 being way underweight and 5 being very overweight. My goal is to hit a "3", the healthy weight, again. I haven't been at that weight since the bladder stone surgery almost two years ago. So I'm working on it!



Last night my tortoise mom gave us some strawberries. Oh what a treat! We smacked our beaks and savored every mushy bite. By the time we were finished eating, we looked like toddlers who got into their mom's lipstick. But we sure were happy!



Tonight I outdid myself when I let my tortoise mom know I needed a drink by sniffing at the ground and following her. So she filled my soaking pan and I went right to work drinking water and expressing my bladder to get rid of urates. Usually I fight the soaking pan, but not tonight. No more bladder stones for me!

By that time it was late and I was so tired I was literally dragging my shell as I lurched along heading for bed. I decided to sleep outside, tucked under the edge of some yard equipment instead of going back inside the burrow. I'm weak but I'm feeling better. I finally feel like grazing again, and that's really good news.

Monsoon Tortoise

It's too hot!! Seriously. Tortellini and I are making mad dashes out to eat a little but then we rush back to stay cool in our burrow 99% of the time. It was 115 degrees here this week, but not in the old burrow. It's cool, dark and comfortable in there all the time--very important for us cold-blooded critters who can only manage our body temperature by changing our surroundings.

I finally got my birthday salad on one of my forays out into the yard. Mmm, I love those desert willow flowers, and kale is a tasty treat. But this is all I got as Dr. Johnson wants me to tank up on grass this summer. I got a big drink of cool water too but I nixed the soaking. When I'm feeling stronger I can climb out of my soaking pan in record time, and I splash the water out of the pan with my final kick. You know how I hate soaking.



Since I'm not coming out of the burrow very much right now, here's a poster from Arizona Fish & Game. I could have been the model for this poster in my pre-surgery days, before I got the dip on my head from being so sick (muscle loss). Oh the good ol' days, when I had strong hind legs and that youthful glow. But don't worry, I've had enough of needles so I won't be getting Botox or any tortoise "enhancements". I'm just happy to be staying cool in the old burrow right now. Tortellini isn't hogging up the whole place either as we wait for the monsoon to bring cooler days and rain puddles to drink. Oh how we love coming out in the summer rain. I sure hope the monsoon comes soon.

Meanwhile you can download your own poster with great tips here.

Today is my birthday!

I know a lady doesn't usually tell her age, but I'm very proud of turning 46 today. It's the same as 46 in human years, so that means I'm in the prime of my life! And I'm delighted to share my birthday with a very special girl who likes to peek into the burrow and take photos. Maybe she'll grow up to be an exotic animal vet like Dr. Johnson?!

I didn't exactly get my birthday wish. Dr. Johnson called last night and said my blood test results had improved in some areas but the White Blood Cell count and lymphocyte levels indicate inflammation. Not the best news. And if I keep losing weight, I'll have to get some invasive tests (endoscopy on the abdomen) at the beginning of August. I don't like the sound of that one bit. Meanwhile I still have to get weighed and soaked weekly, so it's obvious I'm still on the rehab list.

You know, I've been through a lot and my health has improved so much since the surgery -- good looking scales, alert eyes, pink tongue, green beak -- but I guess I have a way to go still. This sure has been a long recovery.



We're going to celebrate my birthday later as I didn't want to come out of the old burrow today. I scooted in there and decided to stay a few days as it was 109 degrees today and will be 114 or more tomorrow. Excessive heat warning = Hunker Down! So Tortellini and I are snoozing in the deepest, coolest, darkest part of the old burrow trying to stay cool. It's too hot to eat, which might explain why I'm losing weight. Or it could be that unexplained inflammation. Anyway, I'll come out again when it's even a few degrees cooler. I hear there's a birthday salad with my name on it.

Room Two with Dr. Johnson

It's been a busy few days getting ready for my big check-up with Dr. Johnson this morning. I've been eating and weighing and pooping and soaking. And I outdid myself this morning by pooping in the yard and in my travel box once I got to Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital. I knew exactly where I was as I remember all the sounds and smells, so I was really paying attention after getting weighed in, and then I decided to do my tortoise business right in my travel box while I was waiting for Dr. Johnson. Perfect timing! The good news is my fecal test came out good, with no parasites or other signs of disease.

Here I am, ahem, concentrating on the job at hand in my travel box:





Dr. Johnson was glad to see my green beak, which means I've been eating grass. In fact I've only been eating grass, no treats or supplemental feeding with lettuce. And I think fruit has been purged from my memory a la "Men in Black," because I need to get my fluids from drinking and soaking in water to flush my bladder. I don't want any more bladder stones!





I had a pretty good check-up, and Dr. Johnson called me a "testament of persistence." Yep, we never give up around here. He pronounced me alert, with healthy looking scales (no Botox for me!), a green beak and the inside of my mouth and tongue look pink and healthy too. But my hind legs are very weak, and I've been losing weight since my highest post-hibernation weight of 3590 grams back in April. I weighed 3456 grams 5 days ago, 3339 grams yesterday and 3230 this morning. Whoa! Even lots of pooping doesn't explain that. So Dr. Johnson rated me as slightly underweight and then he ordered blood tests to check my calcium and other levels just to see what's going on with me. My blood work hasn't been totally normal since my surgery back in September 2009, which could mean a reproductive problem (lady issues), but we were hoping that normal hibernation last winter would help balance things out. Cross your fingers and toes that it did, ok?

So I had a busy morning and then I slept in the new burrow all afternoon. Dr. Johnson that I could be losing fluid and being less active with less appetite since it's so hot now. I'm hoping that explains it. I don't want any more medical procedures!! I just want to be a normal tortoise living in my back yard, hanging out with Tortellini in the old burrow. It's so deep and dark and cool in there that we are very comfortable.

Dr. Johnson will call with my test results in the next few days. My 46th birthday is Tuesday and all I want is a good report. That would be the best birthday gift of all!!!

Playing Musical Burrows

I'm playing a game with my tortoise mom and dad. When they see me heading for the old burrow after eating, they put me in the new burrow. I humor them by staying in there a while, sometimes overnight, but then I skip out and go back to the old burrow. Once I'm in the old burrow, good luck on getting me out. Meanwhile, I've turned the tables and I'm giving my tortoise parents lots of exercise. Oh this just delights me!



But in the middle of this elaborate musical burrows game, I'm eating. Since Friday I've gained 87 grams! So I'm up to 3456 grams as of this morning. And I was very cooperative about soaking in my little blue pan too. I did my 30 minutes with no complaints, and then I ate some new globemallow leaves on my way back to the old burrow. But my tortoise mom snatched me from the entrance and put me in the new burrow in hopes that I'd come back out to eat this evening. Which I did. But, like I said, I went back to the old burrow. Then tortoise dad mowed the lawn and then put me back in the new burrow, which is where I am right now. Oh the madcap life I lead!

I'm feeling better all the time. Grass tastes good and so does the globemallow. I haven't been well enough to eat these things since long before the surgery for my bladder stone (September 2009). The weather is heating up and that revs up my metabolism too. I am getting better and better! I sure hope Dr. Johnson thinks so too. I have to see him for a check-up this Saturday. You know what that means: Road Trip! I like my travel box and I don't mind riding in the car one bit. I wonder... if they put it in the new burrow, would I work so hard to go back to the old burrow? I don't know. My tortoise GPS says the old burrow is home. And you know what they say about that: There's just no place like it.

True Confession

I have to confess that soon after my last post, I faked out my Tortoise Dad while he was doing yard work. I was innocently sunning myself, or so he thought. But I slipped past him and climbed into the old burrow with Tortellini and I've been tucked in there ever since. Oh sure, they've dragged me out to weigh me a few times, but I just go right back into the old burrow and snuggle in my favorite corner. Happy, happy!

There was an Easter Egg Hunt in our yard and one of the cute hunters risked her new Easter dress to take this photo of me inside the burrow. You can see I was keeping on eye on things, but no way would I come out, no matter how many flowers she put right under my nose. Anyway I didn't take the bait, but Tortellini did.



Since I've been dug in so deep in the old burrow, I haven't come out to eat or walk much lately and it shows. My weight has dropped off in the last month, and my hind legs are weak. So, as of today, I'm back in the new burrow and my tortoise parents/personal trainers have put me on a strict exercise and grazing program. I ate grass and walked twice today. I drank a little water too. But I also hissed which is what I do when I'm not fully alert so then I startle easily. I guess they're right that I should be active by now. After all, it's June. Prime tortoise grazing time. If I don't get out more, the lizards will take over. Seriously, there are three collared lizards in our yard. I don't mind because they don't eat grass or flowers. They just hunt bugs in the grass, which is fine with me. I guess I'll be hanging out with them more now. But I'd really like to go back to the old burrow. It sure is dark and cool and that makes me very sleepy. Oh, I'd better not think about that right now.

So it's time to wake up and eat the grass. I haven't been strong enough to eat grass since long before my surgery, so it's good news that I'm chomping down on it with such gusto now. I need to do a lot more of that so my head muscles will get stronger again too. Plus I get my weekly soak. I hate to soak, but it does help flush my bladder of any urates that have collected. It's not pretty but I sure don't want another bladder stone. An ounce of prevention...

Cacti WiFi

Sorry I've been AWOL for so long. This hibernation THANG sure cramps my blogging style as I'm underground in my snug little burrow (the new one which I customize as needed) lo, these many months. Anyway it's hard to get a good Internet connection in here, what with all the good dirt insulation. But my Tortoise Dad just fixed me up with Cacti WiFi so I can check in more often.

Here I am getting some quality beauty sleep. If you look real close, you might see a little drool-- I'm just that relaxed. I hope this gives my scales just what they need. It was no fun having them drop off last winter when I got so sick.



But as soon as I hear my Tortoise Dad digging me out to check my weight, I clamp right down to protect myself from would-be predators. But of course my Tortoise Mom practically sings to me so then I don't hiss in fear. Anyway, they weigh me every 2-3 weeks to make sure I'm not losing weight, which could be a sign of illness. So far, so good!! Here I am doing my best to look like an empty shell.



They weighed me on Saturday, but I didn't see my shadow, or actually anything, as I squeeze my eyes shut too when I'm pulled out of my burrow. So for whatever it's worth, it will be an early Spring. Which is hard to imagine as I hear it was 26 degrees in our yard last night. But thanks to my well-insulated burrow, plus extra warmth added on top of the wood and foam blocked entrance when there's a freeze warning (Christmas lights tucked under a blanket), my burrow is staying between 53 and 55 degrees--downright balmy!

They weigh me on warmer days so I won't feel a big temperature shock coming out of my burrow. Then they put me right back and scoop the dirt back around me, all in just a couple of minutes. It happens so fast I sometimes wonder if I was just dreaming. If so, I still like the singing. Zzzzzzzzz