Bucket Buddies

It's ten 'o'clock in the morning, I'm sitting on the couch doing some writing and Frankie is at the backdoor his nose pushed into the glass and his eyes peering into the window wondering when I am going to open the door because it's 84º F and he is getting a little warm.

Warm, Frankie, not hot.  It's not hot until after noon.  Go find some shade!

We've spent quite a bit of quality time together over the last month since his injury.  He's come to expect my attention a bit more than usual.

Since his foot injury early July, and hot or not, I've been his observant companion and caretaker watching his ever move and spending more time with him than almost ever before.

How much time?  Besides the five hour drive to Birmingham and the five hour drive back to Mobile, I follow him whenever he is outside guarding him from further injury.  Every evening I've escort him into the house to sleep, and every morning walk him back outside.

Without fail, I sneak into his sleeping area up to a dozen times each night to see if he is okay and to see how cute he looks when he is sleeping.  I've also discovered that indeed sulcata tortoise sleep restlessly because, due to insomnia, I often sleep in the guest room which is less than two feet from where Frankie sleeps when inside.  I get jump-bolted woken each time he moves around at night.

Last night I woke to what sounded like raccoons tearing up the front porch.  Still in a near-sleep state and not fully aware that I was only dressed only in my over-sized t-shirt (period!), I opened the front door and found no disturbance outside.  The sound instead was Frankie turning around in his newspapers and hay.

Once again I risk indecent exposure to unsuspecting neighbors.  Thanks, Frankie.

I do adore my time with Frankie and he is a good buddy, but I feel like the whole last six weeks were all about Frankie rather than the hubby, the house, my writing, the geckos or even the cat.  It certainly hasn't been about keeping up with needed showers after outdoor time with Frankie in near 100 degree temperatures.

It's nearly noon and this blog has taken HOURS to write because I've been back and forth outside watching after Frankie.

Around two o'clock, Frankie was getting a bit hot so I turned his mister on to cool him off.  The mister felt so good that I sat under the shade with Frankie sitting under my feet.  We lounged around like that for a while and contemplated life.

If I didn't love Frankie so much I would have a lot more free time. 

Yeah, maybe.  But then I would have missed this when I went out to check Frankie around 4 o'clock. 

The last trip outside was very worth my time. Priceless.