I spell it: f*o*u*n*d the turtle!! YEAH!!
This a.m. DH and I dug under the retaining wall far enough for me to crawl under there. I was in so far just my feet were sticking out! I could shine a flashlight down both tunnels and see quite a way. I didn't see her, and it sure looked like she hadn't been there! But they were curvy tunnels. And would you believe, shortly after she disappeared we had an earthquake?? Yea, in Michigan! So I started thinking like maybe some tunnels collapsed or something. DH is talking about digging up the whole yard...etc..etc. Plus, the weather has turned cold, in the 40's, with a possibility of snow tonight!!
Also I look around at the piles of sand we made from digging out the tunnel and think "What if she buried herself somewhere else and now I've trapped her! Soooo, we start digging out the whole area!
DH kept saying, "Sure are a lot of stones here. Here's another one" and tossing it out of the pen.
Then he says, "Here's another one...wait..that's not a rock! That's a turtle!"
She was next to the house's foundation, a foot or more buried! I took her inside, gave her a warm soak. She is alert and looking around. She soaked for about 20 mins. then took off to the the other side of her pen where the heat lamp and her favorite hiding place is!
She seems no worse for wear, at least not nearly as frazzled as I am!!
Thank you all so much for your help and encouragement!! (The camera from the ornithologist is a great idea! In fact my neice is researching house wrens at Michigian State!) I'm just so glad and relieved we finally found her! Would you believe she had been missing about a month!!
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0.1.0 ornate box turtle
1.0.0 eastern box turtle
1.0.0 Yellow belly slider
0.1.0 Red belly cooter
0.1.0 Australian shepard
1.11.0 chickens
1.0.0 Dutch(rabbit)
3.2.0 children (do I still count the married ones?)
1.0.0 husband
Tess