We're A Two Turtle Home

Pictured right to left:
Grumpy O'Mally - the original "Hurt turtle" adopted while geocaching
Amanda - name giver to the O'Mally line of turtles
Little George O'Mally - a turtle Mrs. Debi rescued from their pool

The fact that Grumpy O'Mally ended up at the Hurt household was a lack of forethought on my part. You can read all about it here. And now it seems he is here to stay for a while. Just when I think I have Amanda talked into letting him go before winter instead of having to hibernate him, she goes all female on me. This past weekend, for instance. I asked her if she wanted to take Grumpy (this was before Little George's arrival) to the state park where we were meeting my parents for the weekend. I told her we could let him find a turtle family and go free. She did not go for it, so I reminded her that we would need to let him go before winter because, although people do hibernate their turtles for the winter, I have no experience at this. Things were OK until bed time. Amanda went to sleep, but as Brooke and I were talking in my office, Amanda came out of her room crying. When we asked her what was wrong (thinking she was having leg cramps), she said she had a bad dream. This has happened before, so I didn't think much of it until she further explained, "I had a dream it was almost winter and we let Grumpy go." Am I the only one who sees this is not going to go well?

I am not sure why Amanda is so attached to Grumpy. I mean she looks at him, takes him out of the pen for a 'walk' sometimes and everything, but I am the one who takes care of feeding him, keeping his 'turtle ranch' damp and humid, etc. OK, I have to admit, I like having the turtle around now, but I planned on letting him go before I'd have to hibernate him.

And then this week I got a call from Mrs. Debi telling me she had rescued a little turtle from her pool. George and I went to look at him and help figure out what to do with him. Debi offered to let him live in the yard, but he'd probably fall in the pool again (chlorine water is not good for turtles!) or, as she pointed out, he may meet with the mower (even worse for turtles that chlorinated pool water). George (my friend, not related to the turtle nor the turtle's namesake) had the best idea, "Let's let him go now". But did I heed this bit of wisdom? No! I took the turtle home and put him in the pen with Grumpy to show Amanda. If you were a seven year old little girl who liked turtles, how would you respond if you saw a smaller, cuter version? No, I was not fortunate enough to trade Little George O'Mally for Grumpy O'Mally's freedom...we are now a two turtle home. And we will have to turtles until one or two things happen this winter: 1) I make my little girl cry for who knows how many days or 2) I learn how to hibernate box turtles.

Please excuse me while I head over to Google..."hibernate box turtles".

- Rob