The Tortoise Adventure

People don't realize how tricky turtles/tortoises can be.
They're much faster than believed.
And are able to escape and disappear.

But I know.
lol I've heard stories from neighbors and customers at work about Tortoises and Turtles disappearing when they looked the other way.

So.
I was up at my parents place.
Celebrating with fireworks and reunions and such.

And my Daddoo comes into the house.
Saddened.

Because one of his tortoises.
Had disappeared.

Backstory:
For the summertime,
He'd created a cage outside in the garden.
Placing it in the raised bed of the lettuce portion of the backyard.
So the Tortoises could eat and enjoy the heat at the same time. :)

He'd taken every precaution to ensure his two tortoises wouldn't escape.
Even putting metal bars down into the ground so when the tortoises would burrow they wouldn't be able to burrow beyond the cage.

But.
One of those metal bars hadn't been placed quite correctly apparently.
And his tortoise Pickles, managed to find that one spot.
Dig a hole.
And escape.

She wasn't in the raised bed.
Which meant she'd somehow managed to clamber over the cement blocks....and then tumble down twoish feet to the ground below. :S

The problem was....
He wasn't sure how long she'd been gone.
It could have been an hour, or up to 48 hours.
As he'd not checked on them the day before, but had seen them both the day before that.

So literally....
She could be anywhere.
Our backyard is a big place.
Though luckily it's also fenced.
So if she'd escaped recently, she would have to dig out from under that area as well if she was in 'escape mode'

My Daddoo had looked everywhere he could think of for her before coming inside to tell Mother Dearest and I the sad news.

:(

I knew it could happen.
Was sad that it had happened to one of our tortoises though. :(

But I figured....
There's probably a chance she can still be found.
So I slipped on my shoes and went downstairs with Daddoo to investigate.

He showed me where she'd escaped from.
I looked through the thick lettuce to make sure she wasn't still in the other half of the raised garden bed.

Before I began searching around the area.

I had the thought to check by the neighbor's fence. As it was like two or three feet away from the raised garden box...
And it was the nearest area that had some sort of ground cover to go to.
As tortoises do like to hide in things.
Plus, I wanted to see if I could see any indications of digging.

I didn't.
But there were these beams of wood, left over from building projects I believe....
And I glanced down where beams met ground.
And saw the familiar curved shell of a Tortoise.

lol. I stare at the creatures everyday at work.
So I know what they look like.

But yah!!
Within five minutes of going to search for Pickles.
I'd found her!

She'd half buried herself under the wood.
And was pretty well blended with the surrounding weeds and grass and dirt.

But I'd found her!
She wasn't too happy to be pulled out of her hidey hole.
Hissing at me.

But she's once again safe with her buddy Rusty indoors in their terrarium for now. :)

So happy she was found safe! :D

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi