Ms. Penny

   It was another busy, busy day of shredding mulch for the garden and cutting grass.  After about 3 hours of this work, I needed a cooling glass of water and a bit of rest.  It was during that rest time that an old friend came by to visit.  Ms. Penny, the box turtle ambled out from under the front steps of the Little Bayou House where she has been in brumation since last November.  It was good to see my old friend.  I watched as she slowly ambled to the tiny Puddle Pond where she could get a long awaited drink and some lunch which mainly consisted of tadpoles.

  This turtle has been coming around for years and years.  She is gentle and friendly but not so much as the turtle that hangs around the Frog Pond.  That one literally begs for handouts and attention.  Ms. Penny is receptive of handouts as long as you set it on the ground and back away.  She does, however, clear the Puddle Pond of all tadpoles.  This afternoon, she was still circling the edge nipping the tiny tadpoles from the sides of the pond.  It saddens me to know that hundreds of tiny future frogs met their demise today but it is a fact of nature that predators will be predators.

  Ms. Penny made her way out of the pond and back under the steps for the evening.  Tomorrow, she most likely will go exploring in the Small Gardens then visit the pond again.  She is welcome to stay and is always a delightful visitor.