Famous Frankie

Frankie was a celebrity again! This last weekend he was featured in an pet article. As soon as I can I will get a scan of the article and post it on this blog so everyone can see it.

Until then, here is the text:

No hare apparent as tortoise takes its time in Birmingham-area Walk for Autism.
Sunday, May 04, 2008, Slow but sure:
I felt like a bit of a slacker after learning that a tortoise participated in the Walk for Autism 2008 while my dog, Vito, and I were home on the couch.

True, Frankie - a sulcata tortoise who belongs to Leann Christenson of Leeds - didn't exactly set the pace at the recent 3K walk at Regions Park. But he plodded on nonetheless.

"Everyone quickly passed him, but he didn't care," Christenson says.

Frankie wasn't allowed to complete the event, because public safety officials requested that he leave the road once all walkers passed.

"I think Frankie walked about 45 minutes, which means he walked just under one mile," Christenson says.

But he would've gladly finished, she says, and was in fine shape to do so. The pair's training sessions, which started with one-mile walks, progressed to two miles closer to the event.

Way to go Frankie! Walk on!

Missed the rain

Saturday morning we were expecting big storms again so the question always comes up whether to bring the turtles and Frankie inside or leave them outside. So, outside for the night and inside first thing in the morning before the storm hits. Sounds okay.

Storm hit very very early in the morning about 6:00 or so. All turltes outside. But all turtles okay. By 10:00 am, everyone was back in the sun and damp earth running around. Box turtles especially walk around after a rain. Frankie was walking all over as soon as he warmed up.

Frosty Turts

Poor Frankie, poor box turtles, another two nights inside. We had a cold snap with nigthtime temperatures into the high 30's. No outside sleeping for turtles.

We were in a real quandry on Tuesday because both Greg and I had to get up extra early and be out of the house by 6:00 am. We had two choices - leave Frankie inside for the day with 100% of complete distruction of gecko room, or put him outside at 6:00 in the morning when it was very cold.

Outside at 6:00 was the choice. We turned on his outdoor heat all night so it was warm and toasty in the morning and carried (!! - 48 pounds is getting tough) him into his prepared shelter.

By the time we checked on him that night, he was fine, back in his warm outdoor enclosure.

But turtles go outside today.