A New Addition To the Family

My Tootsie's birthday is coming up.  I found her on March 31, 2015.  I've been thinking about the time I found her.   Turtles are territorial so it's likely that Tootsie's mama might have laid some eggs in the same area.  So with that on my mind I've been kind of keeping my eyes open for any baby turtles. In the last two years I have found two baby turtles in our store.  I always check out the floor in the warehouse anyway since we have numerous frogs in residence.  Don't want to step on one!

So I was hauling a battery out the front door to my car.  Then as I was returning with the dolly I just happened to look down in front of the door.  I saw what passed for a little dirty rock.  But you can't fool me since I've been down this road before.  So I naturally picked it up.  It was a hatchling turtle all right, but I wasn't sure if it was alive.  It looked really dried up.  I quickly took it inside and put it in a tiny bit of warm water.  The little guy came out of his shell and had a drink.  Within an hour he was quite perky!

I was in a quandary.  I really wasn't ready to commit myself to another turtle.  But then again I couldn't bring myself to just put him out in the cold.  The survival rate for baby turtles is not good.  So I bit the bullet and took him home.  Luckily I have all of the supplies and equipment that I used when Tootsie was a hatchling.  For the short term I set him up in a small reptile bowl till I have time to prepare the 10 gallon tank.

Presenting Butterbean!!

You can still see the belly button!

He actually looks larger in the photos than he is in reality.  I think it is because of the lens I used.  It's not easy to take photos of something this small while you're holding it!  And believe me he did not like it one bit, especially the flash.

I set up his tank this afternoon.  So far he's very happy in it.  He has a heater, heat lamp, UVB bulb, filter, log, cave and lovely moss to hide in.  He has already eaten his first meal of hatchling pellets and has figured out how to get up on his log to sleep under the moss.  Quite an accomplishment for a little fellow that's only a few days old.

Here's a look at the birthday Tootsie from a year ago right after I got her.  See if you can find the little booger!

Where in the world is Tootsie

Sharon
#mudturtle, #babyturtle, #babymudturtle, #hatchlingturtle,

Spring Is Upon Us At Last!

Last week it was snowing.  Today I'm wondering where I put my shorts!  Most likely they're packed away in the attic.  I'm too lazy to look for them so I'll just have to suffer (enjoy) the heat.

It's hard to believe it's time for Busch Gardens to re-open.  I can't tell you how much I'm so ready for it.  Around here the kids are going on spring break and Busch will be open next weekend.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed for good weather.  There is a funnel cake with my name on it.

Busch Gardens is so pretty in the Spring.  They really put a lot of work into the decor and landscaping.  They always open just in time for Easter.  The Easter Bunny is in residence in one of the shops by the Festhaus and the kids line up to have a turn at sitting on his lap.  Maybe one of these days I'll give it a go myself!  NOT!

This isn't a bunny but he's definitely a cutie.  When I grew up in the mountains we had an owl that stayed by our house.  I've always had a love for them and I especially love the little ones they have at Busch.

Wishing you a wonderful Spring and Happy Easter.
Sharon

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

Springtime Walk At Newport News Park

Dilemma

Sometimes at this time of year you have a major dilemma on your hands.  It seems like there are a lot of great movies released just in time for Spring Break. On the other hand the weather is just starting to get really nice.  So what's a person to do?  I know what I should do...paint, paperwork, housework.  But that's no fun at all.

 

Easy Decision

I opt for a small hike in the park.  Nothing major, just 3 miles.  I think I can handle that!  Packed up Hubby, my trusty camera and bottles of water and off we went  on our lovely nature walk.

Photo Trophies 

The first thing we came across was this crane.  He was flying low by the swamp.

Crane

We were crossing the Swamp Bridge and I was enjoying the baby River Cooters.  So was this frog.  He was waiting for one to come his way.  Thankfully the tiny one I was watching was out of his reach.  And Jase Robertson might love frogs, but the last thing I think about when looking at one is "Yummy!"

Bullfrog

Red-bellied Cooter

This Turkey Vulture was flying overhead.  He was making quite a racket.  I will say he was not very attractive.  But to each his own.  Maybe in the vulture world he's a hottie!

Turkey Vulture

I was standing on the bridge overlooking the swamp trying to be quiet, when some of the brushes to my right started to move.  I heard a lot of rustling sounds and then suddenly this young beaver swam in front of me.  He was happily chewing up reeds.  We also spotted a larger beaver playing out in the deeper water.  I have never seen a beaver in the wild and now I have seen two on the same day.

Beaver

Once over the bridge I hoped to spot some deer.  Unfortunately I didn't see a single one.  But I did see my first butterfly of the season.  This is a Zebra Swallowtail.

Zebra Swallowtail

I came across two birds that were so high I really couldn't tell what they were.  All I saw from the first one was a flash of blue.  I thought it was maybe a bluejay.  The second one flew overhead with something in his claws.  I figured it was probably some nesting material.  On my computer I was surprised to see that what I had photographed was actually a bluebird (never seen one before) and an osprey who had caught himself a fish dinner.  The third bird was was hidden in the brush on the bank.  It took a lot of searching on the web before I found out he was a green heron.

Bluebird

Osprey

Green Heron

I was beginning to fear I wouldn't spot any snakes.  We walked that whole 3 mile trail and didn't find a single one until the very end.  This guy was right off the trail by the parking lot!  He was about 5-6 feet long and happily wrapping around a tree.  Success!

Black Rat Snake

What a wonderful way to spend a day!  I had a great time and I hope you enjoy my photos.

Sharon

#nature walk in Newport News, #Virginia trails, #Virginia hiking, #Newport News trails

Workplace Wildlife

You wouldn't believe what I found at work today.  I was in our back room and spotted something on the floor.  Now spotting something on the floor is no small feat.  The back rooms are very dark and dusty.  But I saw what I thought might have been a tiny frog.  We do have quite a few of them when the weather gets warm enough.

Once I got a closer look I was surprised to find it was a tiny little turtle.  He was no bigger than a nickel.  Of course I had to pick him up and show him to everyone.  After I picked him up he went into his shell.  But he soon came back out again.

I took him into the light where I could get a better look. Hmmm.   He now had his head and legs back out and his mouth was wide open.  Not a good sign.  I have seen this before.  I took it to my boss to get a second opinion.  Unfortunately he agreed with me.  This little cutie was a #snapping turtle!  He wouldn't stay cute for long.

Actually for something so small he was quite aggressive.  That little booger was all mouth!  He didn't try to bite me but he definitely was attempting to look threatening.  So I walked him over to the woods and set him free.  Sorry to see him go, but as much as I enjoy watching the Turtle Man I am no Turtle Woman.  But come to think of it, I did rescue him and set him free.  Maybe I am a Turtle Woman after all!

The only thing I regret is I didn't get a picture of him before I let him go.  But one thing's for sure.  There are probably more where he came from.  I'll be better prepared next time.

Sharon

First Bloom Of Spring

Finally Springtime!

Although there is still plenty of cold around, springtime is slowly showing itself.  I'm thankful for any small sign.  As usual, the daffodils are the first to show forth.

Right alongside are the pink blossoms of my peach tree.  This poor little tree has so many blossoms every year.  And then it works so hard to grow some lovely little peaches.  Unfortunately none of them have successfully survived the neighborhood squirrels.  Those pesky little fellows don't even let the peaches get ripe.  It makes me so mad to see a squirrel running across the yard with a green peach in it's mouth.

This friendly little robin never hurt anyone...including peaches!  I sure wish he would talk to those squirrels.  We just moved the peach tree to the other side of the yard and we're cutting down the two massive oak trees soon.  Hopefully the squirrels will move farther away and I'll finally get some peaches.

Winter Storm Woes

Here in Virginia we don't function too well in winter storm conditions.  I guess we do as well as possible considering our storms are few and far between.  Coming from West Virginia, however, the extent of the storm madness that ensues can sometimes seems a little bit extreme .  The store shelves will empty out at the prospect of a measly 1 inch of snow forecast!  You can imagine what happened when the forecast was up to 10 inches!

Well, in my neighborhood we did not get the 10 inches.  It looks to be about 8 inches.  Which is why I'm home this morning instead of at work.  Worse things have happened!  The cold is what's giving me problems.  It's finally gotten up to 19 degrees.  I don't tolerate the cold at all.

It was even too much for my dog Chloe.  She's normally pretty sturdy in the weather, even for a little (I'm calling 18 pounds little!) Shih Tzu.  But this morning when Hubby took her out for her walk she came in limping.  She seriously held a front paw up and wouldn't put it on the floor.  Then she limped a short distance across the floor.  I was really starting to worry.  When I felt her paw she fell over and her hind legs went stiff and looked lame.  I was beginning to think she was going into a convulsion.  She had snow stuck to her so I grabbed a towel and dried her off.  Suddenly she jumped up as if nothing was wrong.  She grabbed a toy and ran round the room with it.  When Hubby came in he informed me that it was so cold, Chloe wouldn't even go off the sidewalk.  She did her job right there on the pavement.  I think her feet were freezing.  If it's too cold for Chloe who normally loves the snow...then it's definitely too cold for me!

I did spot one of the baby squirrels making a foray out of his nest.  He only made it about a foot away from the tree and stopped right there.  He actually grabbed a handful of snow and threw it up over his head!  Wish I had video of that.  As it is, I just settled for a photo shot through the back door.  I just am not up to suffering for art today!

Hope you're warm wherever you are.
Sharon

Terrible Take-up

Here in Virginia we have an expression 'terrible take-up'.  Actually I think it's more of a York County thing.  It basically describes a sudden shock to your system.  Now that I think of it I think I heard it mostly from my former in-laws.  Hmmm.  Wonder if I was the terrible take-up?  Anyway, I guess it's a country way of saying 'taken aback'.  Think I've read that expression quite a few times back in my Harlequin Romance days!

At any rate, I'm not enjoying the change in weather we've had the last few days.  It was just a week ago it was a balmy and beautiful 78 degrees.  I came home from work and sat out in the back yard to just soak it up for a bit.  Next thing I knew there were three baby squirrels playing in the tree.  They were adorable.  I do love squirrels in the off-season.  Can't stand them in the summer though.  They massacre my garden.  ARGH!  Anyway one little squirrel was giving his buddy a bath.  Never saw that before.  It was so cute.

  

Suddenly there was a red-headed woodpecker and a blue jay in the same tree.  Guess they enjoy the warm weather too.  I couldn't get a picture of the blue jay.  He was way too fast for me!  But the woodpecker was still just long enough for me to snap this one.

After the birds were gone I spent the next few minutes enjoying the antics of the little squirrels as the sun slowly set and the light changed to a beautiful gold.

What an acrobat

King of the hill?

So much for my fond memories of last week.  The lovely weather did not last.  It was 19 degrees last night and here I sit tonight.... wrapped in a blanket and cranking up the fireplace.  ARGH!  What a terrible take-up!

Sharon