Having been put inside a shoebox inside a wooden box, then into the coldest bedroom, Edweena found it was a lot warmer than outside, so was awake when I went to check on her. I have no idea if I’m right to be so anxious about this – I gave her a bath (you’re supposed to, I’m not going soft in the head) and we’ve put her in a plastic crate lined with paper (newspaper topped with shredded paper) in the porch, on top of the freezer so that Ben can’t snuffle at her, and she can potter around during the day if she wants to. I’ve left instructions with Russell about monitoring her Edweeing habits, to be sure her gut is empty before she goes to sleep at last. Though how to make her is another matter – she isn’t eating, in preparation for hibernation, but it’s nowhere near cold enough unless I leave her out of doors, and then it’ll become too cold. I know, I’m making too much fuss. But that’s just the way it is, I’m too maternal for my own good and I over-think things.
It’s Dora’s birthday today, the last of the five family birthdays in September. Ro took her away for the weekend to a spa hotel and she’s been thoroughly pampered. according to her Facebook status.
Charlotte is staying with us tonight, because she’s kindly driving me to the airport tomorrow. I’ve just taken her to her room, where I apologised for the clothes I left there. I turned out my wardrobe a few weeks ago, and they are all too big for me, but I haven’t quite brought myself to dispose of them yet. She happens to be a size bigger than I am, and dearly loves a rummage in old clothes, so her face lit up when I said she’d be welcome to any she likes. I think she might have a trying-on session before she goes to sleep.
How old is Edweena? I know you mentioned that tortoises live to a very old age.
Charlotte is probably having a blast trying on the clothes. Like shopping…without money being involved!
She’s 13, quite a young tortoise. When R went to Tortoise Club, they asked if he had grandchildren to take her on in due course! And yes, I think she’ll enjoy the trying-on session. She can come back tomorrow after leaving me at the airport and gather up everything she wants.
A tortoise club?!!!
Michelle Shocked!
Ah, tortoise hibernation… I’ve almost given up on adopting the male tortoise offered to me as the current owners are adamant that I shouldn’t change his up-to-now non-hibernating status.
Current trendy wisdom is apparently that they should live in a vivarium with very expensive to run and buy bulbs. I did a few sums and the electricity to keep it over the winter was over £40, after the nearly £300 for the expensive set-up.
Given that Mr BW’s childhood tortoise has coped in a cardboard (not plastic as it risks condensing) box with shredded paper for over 50 years, I’m not willingly tortoising to modernity. (He’s not a panda, see).
They’re having trouble rehoming it though; I’ve made my position clear, so it’s up to them.
Enjoy your time away; hope their are no spanners this time.
there, even.
My fiddle teacher’s tortoise is too young to hibernate and spends his winter’s roaming around her music room. He gets stuck underneath the edges of chairs and boxes and often has to be rescued mid-concerto.
I’ve often wondered, if the baby isn’t supposed to hibernate, how do the mum an/or dad keep him awake and fed if they are hibernating?
Wait, what? You’re off to the airport AGAIN?! Where are you going this time? *wanders off grumbling about not getting a holiday this year* Have fun =) x
Have a brilliant time.
I’m sure Edweena will be snoozing soundly on your return.
xxxx
I bet you are, Rog, I was too when I heard about it first.
It’s a vegetable crate with slats, not a plastic box, BW. There’s full air circulation. I’m happy for edweena to hibernate, it’s just that the info sheet recommends no more than 20 weeks, which would still be winter. And she hasn’t eaten for three weeks already – I’m only away for a few days, I’ll think about it when I’m home. I have a plan for future years, just need to get her through the first winter.
Just a few days in Delft, Indigo. It’s all right for young people like you, but one of the infirmities of age is itchy feet, I get away as much as I can.
Thanks, Roses, the plan is museums and exploring the towns during the day, conviviality in the evenings. And no worrying about what’s going on back home.
I don’t think tortoises look after their babies, don’t the females just lay eggs and leave them buried? In the wild, they only hibernate (or aestivate, if it’s too hot) for a few weeks at a time, it’s the length of our winters that causes
the problem, or so I surmise.