Paging Sue 777

[Polly]

Hi Sue!

I forgot to let you know that my turtle showed up a day after I told you I hadn't seen him for a day! He is growing by leaps and bounds - would you believe he is about 3 inches in diameter? He was only the size of a quarter when I first saw him on June 7th. Every time I look out the window and see him basking on his rock I have to smile - he makes my day. He lies on the rock and sticks all 4 legs straight out (not touching the rock) and holds his head up high like a periscope. An absolute delight!

Thanks for your words of wisdom when I was afraid the bullfrog had eaten him.

Love,

Polly

[Sue777]

You know - I was just wondering about yours today while I was out "playing" with my turtles! And I was feeling badly that in my response to you a couple of weeks ago I wasn't more "positive", but you had asked if it were possible for the bullfrog to have eaten him, and I didn't want to lie. I'm so glad the little sucker was just off hiding for a bit. Isn't it the cutest thing when they play "Superman"? They extend their arms and legs out as if they were flying. Since the only way they can regulate their body temp is by the outside atmosphere, they try to get as much skin surface in the sun as possible, so that explains the "flying" pose. What are you going to do with him come winter? I'm not sure he's going to be big enough to hibernate by then, but what in heck am I doing even THINKING about winter yet! Sheesh!

So glad he's alive and well - I've got two box turtles missing right now, and it's driving me mad, but I just have to hope that they somehow escaped and are off doing what wild turtles do. And maybe when they get sick of hunting for their own food, they'll find their way back.
Sue
P.S. And what ever became of Jeremiah the Bullfrog???

[Polly]

Hi Sue!

Just wrote a long post and it disappeared. I'll try again!

Superman! What a great description for how he looks! Instead of a red "S" he has red marks behind his ears!

What do you mean that he might not be ready to hibernate? How will I know? I just assumed he would burrow in the mud/leaves at the bottom of the pond. Is there anything I can do to help him overwinter safely? (There's that dirty word again - winter).

Your email was response was fine. I have always had trouble with the predator side of nature. I understand it and it makes perfect sense, but from the time I was a little kid, I have had trouble watching those African documentaries where one animal catches and eats another. And I'm one of those nuts who takes bugs outside instead of killing them. Sigh. I wish I were tougher - it would make life a lot easier!

I hope your turtles come home. Jeremiah is the biggest hugger I've ever seen. And he may be a she, because I don't hear a lot of "jug 'o rums" around the pond. I don't see her much either, because she is as skittish as the turtle. But there's no mistaken she's there when I hear the big splash and see the ripples when I approach the pond. This bullfrog really does look like Jabba the Hut. No kidding!

Love,

Polly

[starfire]

Sue and Polly,
I love your delightful posts about your ponds and the "critters" in them.
Makes me want a pond and I don't think that's possible, so I can use my imagination and enjoy yours.

Shirley

[Sally]

Oh, hey, you guys. Can I horn in?

I have a tiny green frog that comes out every Spring and croaks his little heart out. The first time I heard him I went hunting around the pond expecting to find a big ole bullfrog. Nope, he/she was a little tiny delicate thing and I stood and watched him while he/she CROAKED!! I almost laughed out loud, but I didn't want to scare him off. He isn't here in the summer and I think he's gone, but he shows up every Spring. I don't know much about frong behavior. I just enjoy him.

Polly, I know what you mean about the predatory aspects of nature. I can't watch those shows, either. I take bugs outside, too. I even try to save yellowjackets by shooing them towards an open door. Sometimes, I fail, and I feel sorry.

Lots of love,

Sally

[Sue777]

What a bunch of sick puppies we are...... but add me to the list of people who doesn't kill insects - just relocates them.

I love frogs - any every sound they care to make. There is one living in my big pond right now (and for the past two weeks) but I don't know if he just "appeared" or if he's one of the tadpoles I had bought a few months ago, but in either event he is MORE than welcome! I amazed my husband the other day by carrying on a conversation with the frog. Hubby was out there checking out my fish collection, and I said "oh, and we have a new frog, too - Jerry - come on out and show yourself!" All of a sudden, Jerry started croaking. I would respond back - he'd croak. I'd speak - he'd croak. I thought my husband was going to fall face first into the pond! Now he comes out there often and says "make the frog talk again!". Sometimes it works - sometimes it doesn't. Heck, frogs have their moods too you know!

Can't watch nature documentaries? I walked out of a movie the other night (Stripes?) which is full of animated animals, and when I heard someone say that the zebra was going to get the sh*t beat out of him momentarily I got up and left.... I couldn't even stand to watch an animated animal get hurt. Talk about ridiculous!

Polly, I'll go back and do some research, but I thought there was some rule of thumb about not hibernating young turtles. They have to be perfectly healthy and of a decent weight to survive, but I don't remember what the minimum recommended size was. I will find out and let you know. Staying under freezing cold water with very little oxygen and no food for a couple of months is very stressful on a body, and I'm not sure the young guys have the strength to survive it. But then again, how have turtles survived all these years, then? I'll read up, but I think maybe when they're young they hibernate underground instead of under water?

I've never tried sharing any photos on Photobucket.com yet, but let's see if this works:

You have been invited to visit a photo album http://photobucket.com/albums/b57/Sue777/Ponding/

The read only password to view this album is: Permission

Sue

[starfire]

Sue, I REALLY loved your pictures!! Thanks for sharing them.
Shirley

[Mars]

Sue,
Thanks for sharing! What wonderful pics! Is Lia a Mastiff? A Harry Potter Dog! Yipee!

Loved them!

[Polly]

I can't get in. Must be doing something wrong.....I typed "permission" in the password box under Sue's name. Help.

Polly

[MaggieRedwings]

Hi Sue & Polly,

When we moved this winter I was lamenting the fact that we would no longer be able to hear the bullfrogs and peepers during the Spring & Summer. However, the owner of our new community has a pond on his property and in the still of the night the peeps and jug-o-rums carry a good distance. Thanks heavens we can still hear them.

Don't miss the giant snapping turtles that inhabited the pond and loved to dig nests in the garden.

I also do not kill bugs and carry them outside. Did you know the Dali Lama and Buddah priests would have a sweeper in front of them as they walked to wisk away the ants so they would not be stepped upon?

Maggie

[Mars]

Polly,
I capitalized the "P" and it worked. Try that.

[Polly]

Duh. Mars, you are a genius! It worked! Thankx.

Sue, terrific photos. I'll have to get some to Sally.

Love,

Polly

[kate_ce1995]

Now you guys are making me feel guilty! We had a bat in the house Saturday night (which Geoff woke me up to deal with because his is too SHORT!), and ended up killing it accidentally, while scooping it into the box. He was actually quite cute sitting on our brick wall that runs behind the wood stove.

Katy

[Sally]

Oh, my goodness!! What beautiful pictures. The ones of the pond are really astonishing. Yes, what kind of a dog is Lia? She is HUGE!! Loved Greg whoever he is. Who is he? Adorable little baby.

Lots of love,

Sally

[Sue777]

Hi, Guys. Thanks for the nice comments. I had never "shared" pix using Photobucket before so I had no idea where that link would take you.... didn't mean to bore you with baby pix and dogs, too.... was just trying to set the mood of ponding as we were talking about frogs and turtles. But since they were there and you didn't mind looking at them, Greg is my niece's first child, and the darned kid keeps getting cuter and more personable every week! He's actually caused me to say to both my kids "when you gonna make me a grandma!?" and they're both still in college, so I really need to stop that. LOL

Lia is a Neapolitan Mastiff..... a very rare dog from Italy, and yes, she is the Harry Potter dog!!!! She is absolutely the sweetest stupid dog I've ever owned. She's about 130 lbs. but is afraid of her own shadow, literally, but she never leaves my side and her bark is enough to scare off anyone or anything, so I guess it does the trick whether she's scared or not. We had to have a HUGE petdoor installed when we got her, and lots of people ask me "aren't you afraid with a pet door that large that a burglar can walk right through it?" My answer is "if a burglar sees a pet door THAT big and is stupid enough to come in anyway, that's his problem.

The ponds are my salvation/my relaxation/my link to what's really important to me. I spend so many hours a week playing the corporate games at the office that I can't wait to come home and handfeed my turtles and frogs and appreciate what REAL "wealth" is.

Heck, if you ladies didn't mind those, I may just have to go post some of my macaw and African Grey pix on there, so watch out!
Sue