We set Tammy the tortoise out in the backyard yesterday to enjoy some sunshine before we head into the winter season. Despite Tammy being lost in the backyard twice before, I felt pretty confident: Tammy has been going to a favorite place in the backyard lately (by the woodshed), and I had an alarm on my phone to find her before sunset.
...
You know where this is going: she wasn't in her normal spot, and we couldn't find her.
After looking for an hour - raking through leaves, tramping through garden beds, digging through firewood - we called it a night. Tammy had survived nights out in the backyard before.
Today, unfortunately, was colder than forecast and entirely cloudy. Tammy wasn't likely to come out of her hiding spot if there was no sun to enjoy. At 2pm, temperatures started to fall again and the forecast called for overnight freezing, so I left work early to go home and find the #@%&ing tortoise.
I spent a good twenty minutes going over the yard again (with daylight this time) even going so far as to sweep up most of the leaves. No luck. With everywhere else explored, the only option left was that Tammy was somewhere under the deck that I couldn't see through the lattice.
Tammy was, of course, in the most difficult spot to get to: the corner of the foundation, highlighted with a flashlight in the photo above (I took the photo after Tammy was safely inside).
I nearly couldn't reach that corner - too little time spent at the gym during the last six months.
As I carried Tammy inside, flurries of itty-bitty snowflakes fell from the heavens, and I muttered to the tortoise "you're lucky Brianna loves you." Then I put her under her heat lamp to warm up.
...
You know where this is going: she wasn't in her normal spot, and we couldn't find her.
After looking for an hour - raking through leaves, tramping through garden beds, digging through firewood - we called it a night. Tammy had survived nights out in the backyard before.
Today, unfortunately, was colder than forecast and entirely cloudy. Tammy wasn't likely to come out of her hiding spot if there was no sun to enjoy. At 2pm, temperatures started to fall again and the forecast called for overnight freezing, so I left work early to go home and find the #@%&ing tortoise.
I spent a good twenty minutes going over the yard again (with daylight this time) even going so far as to sweep up most of the leaves. No luck. With everywhere else explored, the only option left was that Tammy was somewhere under the deck that I couldn't see through the lattice.
Tammy was, of course, in the most difficult spot to get to: the corner of the foundation, highlighted with a flashlight in the photo above (I took the photo after Tammy was safely inside).
I nearly couldn't reach that corner - too little time spent at the gym during the last six months.
As I carried Tammy inside, flurries of itty-bitty snowflakes fell from the heavens, and I muttered to the tortoise "you're lucky Brianna loves you." Then I put her under her heat lamp to warm up.
Thank you!!!!!!
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