Turtle Update

Tootsie Smiles

Have you ever seen such a cute little guy?  Maybe I'm prejudiced but I think Tootsie is exceptionally handsome.  At the moment I'm thinking he's a little boy.  Of course he could turn out to be a girl when he gets older.  It's so hard to tell when they're this little.  He looks huge in this picture but his shell is just a bit larger than a quarter.

Tootsie has a very good appetite.  He eats at least twice a day. Right now he enjoys the floating turtle food and has learned how to eat the freeze dried shrimp.  Of course I have to break the shrimp in tiny pieces.  The first time I fed him the shrimp I threw in a whole one with the assumption that he would bite off pieces.  Wrong.  He started at one end and worked that whole thing down his throat.  I have no idea how he didn't choke on it much less where it went in that tiny body.  Lesson learned.

As you can see his looks have changed significantly over the past month.  He has probably doubled in size and his shell and skin have lightened.  I was sorry to see those cute yellow spots go away.  Tootsie is so much stronger now and has the beginnings of some leg muscles.  That's my boy!

May

June

As Tootsie got bigger I started to notice some bumps on his chin.  As he grew they were noticeable.  I googled them and discovered they are called barbels. I like to think of them as Tootsie's goatee!

Every dapper gentleman has a goatee!

This little fellow has truly brightened my days.  I look forward to seeing his adorable face when I come home.  Although I've only had him 4 months but he already knows me and comes running when I look in his tank.  I like to think he loves me for me and not just for the food that comes with me!

One legged dance.  He's quite the acrobat

Showing off his abs

I hope to get a larger tank in the next few months.  Although he has plenty of room in the 10 gallon I'd like to give him more areas to explore. Gotta keep my boy happy!
Sharon

#turtle, #Easternmudturtle, #mudturtle, #babyturtle,

Fun and Interesting Photos

In my last post I shared some pretty spring photos.  Now I'd like to show some of the more interesting and fun sights I've captured.  If you pay attention there is usually something interesting going on around you.  You just have to look.  Of course there's also a plentiful supply of things you wish you had never seen but that get burned into your memory permanently.  We won't go into that right now!

This lizard is not beautiful in the ordinary sense but he had PERSONALITY and that makes him beautiful in his own right.

The is one of the rescued eagles that live at Busch Gardens.  His wing is injured but he is majestic none the less.  There are a few of these rescued birds in the park.

Funny story that has nothing to do with what I'm talking about... A couple of weeks ago as I was driving on a busy highway I noticed a very large bald eagle sitting on top of a telephone pole.  It's not unusual to see hawks and vultures in that area but I've never seen an eagle, especially one sitting on a pole.  He was massive.  Then right after I passed him I also passed a fender bender.  Guess I wasn't the only one who noticed the eagle!  Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of him...or the accident.

Here is one of the drummers from the show in Italy.  Amazingly his smile and energy don't dissolve in the heat.

What can I say?  These two are just perfect examples of how to have fun at work.  I didn't think they noticed me trying to sneak a photo.  But then they suddenly struck a pose for me!  Great attitudes!

Beefeaters in England

And now for something completely different...  This little corner of Italy is decorated in an Asian theme for the Food and Wine Festival.

Very colorful

I just realized today that June is almost over.  Why do the summer months go by so fast?  There must be some scientific explanation.  People are already planning Independence Day activities.  I'm not ready for it.  Once again I will try to fit in everything I want to do this Summer and at the end of it I'm sure once again I will have failed to do half of them.  I guess I'll just content myself with the half and hopefully capture them in photos so I will have something to look at as I sit under a pile of blankets next winter!

Sharon

The Colors of Busch Gardens in the Spring

It's been awhile since I've blogged.  I try to make time for it but time is one of those things that just seems to get away from me.  Like everyone else I don't have enough hours in my day.

I did manage to take a few opportunities to get out and about...with my trusty camera, of course.  Here are a few of the scenes that caught my eye.

I see you admiring my beauty!

What a lovely

Handsome fellow

Enjoying a lazy afternoon

Busch Gardens in full bloom

Serene in green

Electric England

Busch Gardens is known as one of the most beautiful amusement parks in the country.  It's a wonderful place to practice photography.  The only downside is having to fight the crowds.  Why do people insist on walking in front of me when they surely can see the camera in front of my face?  It can be very trying to the patience.  Thankfully we have season passes so we can go during the less popular hours.  We love to go at the end of the day just to do a little walking (for exercise) and then treat ourselves with ice cream or funnel cakes (to cancel out the exercise)!
Sharon

#photography, #Busch