Old Dogs and New Tricks

You know, I have always liked turtles! All kinds! Box turtles, water turtles...I hear there are soft-shell turtles, but I have never seen one. I think that might take the fun out of it somehow. After all, shouldn't turtles be crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside ? Now some turtles bite back! Those are snapping turtles! I've never met one, but I've heard about 'em! One time Freckles...

But I'm getting ahead of myself. See, my name is Skip. I'm black with a gray mustache and eyebrows. I have luxuriant, wavy hair, and a little bit of arthritis. I am 133 years old!! That's dog years, of course! I'm a Cocker Spaniel. In fact, I am the smartest-dog-in-the-world-with-the-greatest-vocabulary! I live on a farm(kind of) with my person, two other dogs, eight cats, and our box turtles. So I have lots of stories to tell, but this one is about ME! It's about me and box turtles.

My person has three kinds of box turtles, black ones with orange stripes and brown ones and something in between. And I helped her find some of "em! The first time, it was kind of by accident. We went for a long walk in the country, and boy was it hot!! We were in the middle of this plowed field, and I found one!! A black one with orange stripes!! Right there in the hot, dry dirt!! So I snatched him up real quick and high-tailed it back to the car!

Well, my person didn't know why I was hurrying, and I didn't say anything! I just kept running. When I got to the car, I wanted to just jump right in without anyone noticing my prize. I wanted to enjoy it in the privacy of my own home! (Even though it was very light and really felt more like an empty shell than a turtle!) But, dog-gone it! My person said, "Skip, what have you got there?" She looked in my mouth and found my turtle! It was about the size of half a grapefruit (a very disgusting tasting fruit that looks something like a tennis ball...but isn't!)

Then you know what?!? I got all kinds of praise and thanks! I couldn't believe it! I thought I would get in trouble, but I didn't!! I figgered my person must be hungry, but she just seemed real excited that I had" Saved his life." Well, anyway, we all piled into the car, me and Freckles ( a big spotted galoot) and Hazle (the cowardly pit-bull) and my person, of course, and the turtle!

By the time we got home it was almost dark. My person took my turtle to the turtle yard, which is big and turtle-fenced. It has lots of hiding places like logs, and overturned flower pots and rabbit burrows. ( I forgot to tell you about the rabbits!) Well, my person put my turtle in one of the soaking dishes, and we all went inside to eat.

The next morning, that turtle was still in the dish! My person said he was too weak from hunger to be able to get out, and he probably hadn't had any water for a long time! I didn't know it, but box turtles aren't supposed to live in plowed fields! When he picked that place to live, it was probably a meadow! Then some farmer came along and plowed him under and turned his home into a desert! It was really lucky for him that I found him (but I bet he didn't think so at the time! I know I sure didn't look at it that way!) After my person helped him out of the water dish, he disappeared into a rabbit burrow. He didn't come out for a couple of months, but when he did, he was nice and fat! My person said, "Well, there you are, Lucky! Looks like you found some grubs and worms to eat!" So that's his name, Lucky. He has lived with us for a long time now.

Another time we were walking in a real nice place with a stream, and woods, and a great big sign that said, "BUSINESS PROPERTY FOR SALE." I was running along the creek, and I found another one. It was a mostly brown one with a few yellow stripes. He was real heavy, not like Lucky. He was more like the size of a half a cantaloupe. (That's not such a disgusting fruit. I kind of like it.) Anyway, I had a hard time getting him back to the car. He kept struggling, and I kept dropping him, so when my person saw me and took him away from me, I was kind of relieved.

I got lots of praise again, and we took this new guy home and put him in the turtle yard. My person calls him "Reddy" cuz he has a red head and orange eyes! Well, he wasn't so happy to be in the turtle pen, and I didn't blame him. The place he came from was a lot nicer, but you know what? We only walked there one more time. And then the next time we went there, the trees and grass and wildflowers were all gone. Now there's a brick building there, and a parking lot. So I guess Reddy was pretty lucky too!

My last turtle rescue happened at home! One night we had a big storm, and about half the old willow tree fell on the turtle pen fence! This old turtle named "Yansa" (that's Cherokee for "buffalo") got out. He came right into the dog yard! And, I'll tell ya what! He was lucky I found him, too! Hazle and Freckles aren't nearly as worldly and sophisticated as me!

You know what I did? I picked him up...well...first I looked at him, and I thought, "Hmmmm...crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside!" But then, I picked him up, and I took him right to my person! I dropped him(gently) right on the porch next to my person's foot. Then I gave a little bark, just to be sure she knew he was there! Boy, oh boy!! You talk about getting praise!!! I'm a dog hero now!

Well, that was a long while ago. I can't quite remember how long. Like I said, I'm133 years old, and I'm kind of stiffening up. I don't see or hear so good anymore, and a lot of times, I don't want to go for walks. But I got memories, and I like to remember about the turtles, and all the places we've been. And I like telling it to you!