Excitement for the Turtles

This is my sweet Tucker...I loved him so much, he was a great turtle!

Okay so those of you who truly know me and my family know that well we have turtles.  When I say we have turtles I don't mean they are just out and about.  Actually it all began my freshman year in college.  My parents moved to a new house more in the "city"...ha ha how big is Amarillo really!  My mom decided that she was done with pets...like dogs and cats.  One of her friends had a turtle that well she had as a pet!  Therefore in the new house the people had laid a curb in the back yard for a garden.  Well, that curbing was and ideal area for a "turtle run!"  At the time that mom began this turtle adventure she just had 3 turtles really.  Oh and where did they come from....well various places.  Dad and his guys would find them when they were golfing and bring them home.  Or her friends would find one and bring it over.  The first turtles to their new found home were Snappy, Hall, all Kit.  They seem to have started our turtle family.  The turtle run is a great place....tons of plants to hide under and a pool with a deck that I made them.  They also have some other drinking areas and such.  If you ask me it is turtle HEAVEN!

Now of course the newer turtles don't come in knowing what to do....aka how to eat and such.  But I think Snappy, Hall, and Kit show them the way.  Mom feeds the turtles each evening and boy do they run to get food!  Really it is the funniest thing.  Then during the cold months in Amarillo the turtles dig down and hibernate....it is always fun to see who will be the first up from winter.  Normally around March they start to come out, unless it is still cold!  Which in Amarillo you never know...it has snowed on Easter many a times!  If you will recall back in my first year or even month of blogging...I was a proud owner of one of the first sets of babies our turtles had.  TUCKER...he lived with me for 2 years.  You can read about him here and then here.  After 2 years he needed a new home with more space.

Here is the exciting part! Back to mom's sweet turtles...they have been asked to be in a RACE!!  HA!  Well one of the guys that works with my father does the Clarendon Turtle race every year...in fact he has done it for like 35 years. Normally he just finds any old turtle on the road or what ever to use.  However the HEAT this year has caused most turtles to HIDE and dig down deep to stay cool.  Mom's turtles have been doing this too...it's just too hot!  Lee asked mom if she would mind if he used her turtles this year.  Did I mention that we are now up to at least 8 adults, 3-4 teenagers, and 2 babies! The babies normally don't make it because they don't realize mom feeds them...they are just too young to know I guess.  But the ones that do learn have grown up hence the teenagers! Lee is going to be taking 2 of mom's turtles today for the BIG RACE!  How fun for the turtles....they get a road trip and a chance to win the race.  Poor Lee has yet to win, so I hope this is his year.  Tomorrow at 1:30 the turtles have to show their stuff....and I am sure they can kick some turtle butt, especially if he holds their food dish in front of them.  Man they can move then!

P.S If I wasn't on computer number 4 since mom made the turtle run I could have had pics for you.  Sorry about that!