Long ago and far away ... well, actually in the 1950's in Palmdale, California ... I had four adult tortoises and several juveniles for pets. I think one was given to me by a neighbor who found it in their yard. It already had a hole drilled in its shell, so it was probably already someone's pet. Then other people gave us found tortoises because they knew we already had some. Our fairly large back yard was fenced with concrete and cinder blocks. The tortoises shared a burrow under the tool shed. In nice weather, my mother liked to serve Sunday lunch on the patio. My tortoises learned come over to see what was for lunch. Besides the usual lettuce, etc., they were fond of any kind of melon, peas, and especially spiced peaches (clove removed). While we were eating lunch they would come right to our feet, set their shell down, and then crane their necks to watch. They trained me to roll a fresh pea their way. If my aim was bad, and I rolled the pea to one side of them, they would reach out with a front foot and stop the pea. Then, eat it. Watermelon was a big hit, and they would eat it all, rind and skin included. However, spiced peaches were clearly their favorite. Each tortoise had to be given their own spiced peach, or a fight would break out. That was the only food I ever saw them fight over. My mother, a product of the Depression, did not approve. When we watered the lawn (and it was warm) the tortoises would sit under the sprinkler and eat the wet clover, flowers first. At other times, just when I was out in the back yard, they would come over to visit, maybe to see if there was food, hang out for a while, and then they would amble off. I think they had some personality, and they were very aware of what was going on. In the end, we moved to Europe for a year, and the renters in our house let the tortoises go. So, maybe the story has a happy ending ...
Britton Estep wrote: >We tend to like the animals that readily acknowledge us, tortoises hardly >ever notice me, but I continue to act as their steward because caring for >them brings so much joy and depth to my life. > >My 2 cents. >-Brit > >. > > -- Tom Schweich [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.schweich.com
