Posted by:
streamwalker
at Sun Jan 14 07:20:50 2007 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by streamwalker ]
Thanks for sharing....
I can vividly remember my first turtle. It was your classic red eyed slider.
Living in the concrete jungle of Jersey City at the impressionable age of six left few choices for proper husbandry and a safe place for my precious slider. I remember my parents stating that he probably would do better if exposed to actual sunlight. But it was December and living up on the 5 th floor apartment building didn't offer many opportunities. I opened the window and to my amazement it was sunny and about 65 degrees on the firescape landing. After cleaning his water bowl; I set it with my slider on the landing and reminded myself to take it in after an hour.
Unexpected relatives visited and later that night; I remembered my slider. The temp had dropped drastically and he was outside for over four hours. I ran over to the window, pulled hard in an upward direction only to find it stuck from being partly frozen. Frantic, I begged my mom to let me disturb the neighbors who shared the common firescape landing for access to my slider. The bottom rung from our concrete yard was broken for years.
Being good friends with their son helped in letting me in; and finally getting their window to open. I was horrified to find my slider frozen solid under water in his plastic turtle island bowl. Sadly I thanked them and carried him back to my apartment with a terrible feeling of guilt. My parents tried to explain it was an accident; and not to feel bad.....But I was crushed. As they talked, my mom started to run warm water slowly over the ice covered green slider; and I remember a shriek and "Oh God!"
I looked over to the turtle water bowl only to see him moving ever so slowly.
I had him for six more years- with a big switch in turtle husbandry; before having to give him to a friend due to a move down to the Jersey Shore. I never forgot that moment and was hooked for life.
Ric K.
[ Hide Replies ]
- some memories - Terryo, Sat Jan 13 12:02:12 2007
 RE: Some Memories - streamwalker, Sun Jan 14 07:20:50 2007
|
