What A Trooper!

This summer a wayward turtle paid us a visit. The male red-eared slider parked himself on our driveway, apparently taking a wrong turn while in search of a water source. He had Trooper scrawled on his shell in permanent marker so we posted signs addressed to Trooper's owner. Sadly, no takers. In the meantime, Trooper made himself at home in our small pond. He dined on mosquito fish and water lillies, but wasn't a social turtle at all!

While I enjoyed the almost 3-month stint as Trooper's foster Mom, the time came to place him up for adoption. He needed a much bigger pond with fellow sliders and lots more water lillies than we could provide. On Tuesday we drove him to Prehistoric Pets in Fountain Valley, a drop-off point for the Orange County Chapter of the California Turtle and Tortoise Club. Lynda is in charge of Adoptions for the Club and she greeted us with a big smile and open arms for Trooper.

FYI, Prehistoric Pets is an interesting place to visit if you're interested in, well....Prehistoric Pets!
And if you're a turtle fan, check out the California Turtle and Tortoise Club website. They welcome donations and memberships.

Walk Like An Egyptian....

The Egyptian Goose is really a Shelduck (a cross between
a goose and a duck). They were domesticated by the ancient Egyptians who considered them sacred. While found mainly along the Nile River Valley, they made it to England in the 1700s and the feral variety lives here in the US.

A small group of them were regulars at the local regional park many years ago. They prefer land so usually kept to themselves, away from the water's edge and other waterfowl. I considered them 'likably arrogant' and was saddened when they moved on.....

Southern California is experiencing a warm and pleasant winter this year, making it difficult to stay indoors. A hilly hike at the regional park beckoned, so I just had to respond. To my pleasant surprise, one of my little Egyptian feathered-friends had returned to her stomping grounds. She greeted me....more cordially than normal. I 'chatted' a bit, then apologized that I carried no goose grub.

I think she understood....... :)