Oh, Look, My Own Window!

Blog Makeover

Welcome to the blog formerly known as Nemo the Unturtle. Nemo was very active in 2007 and the several videos of him on YouTube live on...unfortunately, some with disabled sound. After Nemo's first indoor hibernation, winter '07-'08, he became rather lethargic. Several visits to the vet, the beginning of a diet that was hand fed through syringe, and TLC helped him back to health but not his high level of activity.

We thought a companion would be the answer. They are funny when together and just recently (mid-2010) Nemo began to do his laps around the kitchen and through the living room again. Sometimes he sneaks up on Lucy. Initially Lucy was the domineering bully but Nemo established himself as dominant...except when Lucy, with her sheer size compared to Nemo, just bulldozes him out of her way.

They are both a delight and we continue to take pictures. I just hadn't the energy to keep up with the blog. So mainly this will be a place to post photos. Lucy does love to climb anything she can and Brian's Flickr photos of her climbing earned her the name Lucy the climbing tortoise on Google. I hope you enjoy seeing her and occasionally Nemo. Feel free to go back through the blog of Nemo's earlier days. I still love his tubby photos.

Lucy knows snuggling

Brian bought the "stone" bridge for Lucy thinking she'd like to climb over it. After a few days of checking it out, she began to sleep underneath it. She is now double her original size and soon won't fit under any of the hides, but she is cute in how she manages to get into just the right position for perfect comfort.

It's been chillier the past few nights. Even though she and Nemo have a heater on constantly and Nemo has his reptile warmer, I place soft blankets where they tend to hang out "in the open". Yesterday I placed a lilac fleece baby throw next to the bridge behind the heater last night. For hours Lucy was scratching around. Usually we just giggle at her noises of trying to get comfy. When I checked on her, she had managed to pull the blanket under the bridge so there was blankie on both sides. She was completely snugged in. You can see her head buried down into the covers. We're happy she's so comfy in our home.

Nemo is doing well. Force feeding every other day has pepped him up. I think we may need to do that for the remainder of his life. Or until the day we find him nibbling on one of Lucy's salads.

Nemo & Lucy - Crossing Paths

Nemo took a nosedive out of his tubby landing in front of Lucy chowing down a carrot.

Nemo acting cool and meandering by as Lucy looks on.

Lucy snuggled with Iggy now on her soft beige blankie mat.

Lucy sprawled out napping on her blankie mat close to her best buddy.

Recent cuteness

Yum! Carrot!

Ready for the plunge.

Enjoying a steam facial while kicking his little legs for bathtime.

Nemo in camouflage.

Sleepy Lucy

Lucy's Latest Photos

Will I be this big one day?


Snoozing on Iggy's foot.

Lucy noticing Nemo trying to sneek behind her.

Napping against the stuffie turtle. Must be comfy for a tortoise.

Lucy is growing. She can no longer snuggle in next to Nemo in the summer home. She tries to climb on top of him or push him over. We resolved that issue by providing a wider summer home. It's a wooden stepstool so has no back wall to it. They seem to like sharing space under the blanket under the stepstool. No more shoving contests. When not under the blanket of the new summer home, Lucy has an affinity for snuggling with the reptile stuffed animals. She especially likes resting on the iguana's foot.

Lucy likes to sleep in. Once she awakes she slowlllly makes her way over to the basking log, climbs aboard, and let's out a huge yawn while she raises her body temperature before diving into her food dish. She doesn't drink water or like her wading pool. She eats tons of leafy greens though and is not lacking in nutrition.

Nemo is intent on hibernating but we "force" him to bathe each day to keep him hydrated. He fusses before getting in his tubby but then takes a 20-minute Zen bath. He doesn't eat anything except his shrimp and seems happy. He can get veggies anytime by going to Lucy's dish. And we use spray vitamin supplement plus forcefeeding vitamins at least once a week. Sometimes he'll eat shrimp sprinkled with Lucy's vitamin enriched dandelion powder.

I have nearly two cassettes of video now. When I get creative and physical energy at the same time, I'll work on my first Nemo & Lucy video.