Our newest addition

Surprise...a new pet in the family! Yesterday as I was reluctantly, yet hurriedly, trying to get the dinner dishes done before Judge Judy and American Idol started, I noticed Yotee was gnawing on something odd outside the kitchen window. I scolded her and did a doubletake...could that really be what I thought it was? I rushed outside to check and sure enough it was...a turtle, a very terrified turtle. A rather large terrified turtle. How did he get into our securely fenced yard. He was definitely too wide to squeeze through the fence. Maybe someone dumped him in thinking we'd be good caretakers. I'm told that some people have found them randomly in their yards, so I guess maybe we are just lucky. Who knows, anyway, he is here.

I brought him inside to check him out and do a bit of research, gotta love the internet. After learning a bit about what he might like to eat, I coaxed him out of his shell with some cucumber and tomato. He seemed fine. Although traumatized, he did not appear to be injured and quickly began to explore the garden. Collier was fascinated with the new "doggie" and eagerly tried to give him the remaining tomato slices. After trailing him around for a while, we decided to give him some space and went indoors. Later in the evening, I couldn't find him, and assumed he must have gone off to hide. Fortunately, I did snap a couple photos earlier!

This afternoon, he showed up again, walking right past Yotee, who was locked up in the pen out in the garden (the pest control guy had just sprayed, so I couldn't give her free run of the yard.)almost teasingly. I think he'll be a great addition to our home, as long as we can teach him and Yotee to get along! So the Volciaks now have a Jel-ka, as they call it in Macedonia.