Nemo's Secret Life

I had suspected that Nemo might be like Michigan J. Frog from cartoon fame. Some may recall that a kind man found a frog and took it home as his pet. All the frog ever did when the owner was around was sit and ribbit. However, as soon as the owner was gone, the frog would whip out a hat and cane and sing and dance to "Hello, my baby, hello, my honey..." Always made me giggle.

I could not have known this without Brian's help. Brian was in the kitchen as was I, but I was leaving the room periodically to attend to other matters. As soon as I was gone, Brian said Nemo would come out and do about five activities and be back in his original position by the time I returned. During one of my "absences", he took a lap around the room, soaked in his tub, and climbed over his log before returning where I, of course, would have assumed he had stayed. What's up with that?

I wanted to share the picture of Nemo's igloo which is now adorned with an adorable hand-made sign of wood letters, a wood turtle, and stenciling of leaves. The precious sign was made for Nemo by one of his most adoring fans who happens to be four years old.

My blogging has slowed down for health reasons but will try to share at least a photo or two even if I'm unable to write much for now. It has now been four days and Nemo's new video has not made it "live" on YouTube. Apparently they have a backlog of processing. But his video has 70 views before it has become publicly known. Isn't it odd that the video is earning honors for the past two days but you can't find it in a search of their website? The link provided above to his videos does include Turtle in the Mist. Am hoping it will make many people giggle.

The photo to the left is Nemo in one of his favorite lounging spots by the door stopper in an exotic turtle yoga pose looking extremely relaxed.

Nemo in the Mist

How normal is THIS behavior? While casually having breakfast yesterday morning, I watched as Nemo was on his second lap around the room. He decided to go into his wading pool although he stopped on his log stepping stone and began to wriggle his back legs as if he were already in the pool. Color me confused.

He proceeded to have a very happy bath moving all around to wash his face and kicking his little legs. My camera was close by so thought I'd start "rolling". I saw his head go down into the water but then could not tell what I was seeing. I moved the camera away from my face to see Nemo with his head touching the wading pool floor and his butt stuck high into the air. What a funny sight. He proceeded to engage in that activity several times before placing his head directly into the nearby cool mist humidifier (that I had just placed on the floor in that spot earlier in the morning). It was then I realized he was misting his butt! Too funny. And it explains why he was doing his swimming legs on the log--he was feeling the mist.

He seems to have been in the water more lately so I thought maybe he needed hydration a little more "in his face" so to speak. The rest of my day was spent editing the pieces of movie from his bath for an impromptu new video--Turtle in the Mist. Turns out, I'm not the only one to have used that play on words but it fits the image. Just click on the link for Nemo's YouTube videos. Hope you enjoy it! It was fun to make.

Silly turtle, tricks are for kids

Nemo was very active and athletic this morning. He seems to like adventure and climbing. This is how I first found him after noticing he had been basking on his log. A small wrought iron table serves as the stand for his basking lamp. those curly cues have to be uncomfortable. He's tried climbing over them before and either finally gave up and took another route or clumsily fell over to the other side. Today he was balanced as shown with an expression of "Okay, this spot will do." I didn't see how he maneuvered out of there. Kinda looks like Cirque du Soleil Nemo.

For his next gravity defying trick, he somehow managed to balance himself between the baseboard and his summer home. I noticed when I looked up and saw his head slowly moving behind and just above his summer home wondering what the heck was going on. It's a bird, it's a plane...it's Nemo "tightrope walking". Possibly he likes to give the bottom of his shell a breather from his body weight of 1.1 pounds?

This next photo isn't a trick--it's simply Nemo looking adorable surrounded by his fuzzy friends. This morning I noticed he had finally adopted the new cuttlebone that has been with Tommy Turtle for about two weeks. Am thinking Nemo said something like "Mine!" as he dragged it over from the stuffed animal turtle to his garage area.

Sorry for the lack of daily blogs. I was unexpectedly hospitalized last week and wasn't near Nemo or my computer. Will share Nemo stories as relayed by Brian during my time away from home for next post. Sounds like "the boys" had great bonding time.

Nemo Curls Up Like Cat ?!

You have to admit, Nemo is strange. He's the most relaxed turtle ever. For a few days, it has appeared to me he has snuggled up like a cat (kinda wrapped around himself with his head out resting on the ground as if on a pillow) curled in the direction of his shell. I couldn't be sure because he was under his hide.

Today he had another busy morning. It was so unhumid and gorgeous outside, I let him run up both sides of the yard. When he went inside, he immediately marched over to his wading pool. After hydrating for a few minutes, he began to move his back legs like he were swimming--which is normal for him. It is rather comical to watch. Soon thereafter, he figured out, if he held onto the edge of the dish, he could splash his little legs more vigorously. At one point, he looked so happy and nearly jumped out of the wading dish in the way a puppy playing would suddenly squirm.

For the remainder of the day, he chose to do off-the-log basking. By late afternoon, he crawled under the log blanket. The photo you see is what I saw when I randomly came in the room a few hours later. Even though it appears someone "tucked him in", he managed to get in that comfy position with the blanket all by himself. I now have the answer to my question. Yes, my turtle curls up like a cat--kinda sorta.

When I first adopted Nemo and began to observe him, I would panic thinking he broke his leg because of some of his positions. Both Brian and I have each had the opportunity to walk through his area in the wee hours of the morning to find him totally sprawled out on the linoleum floor (as opposed to asleep in his hide curled up in a blanket or a lump under one of his blankets). The first thought the first time for each of us was that he was dead. omg. But noooooo. It was Nemo just chillin'.

A Day in the Life of the Un-Turtle

Today was production day for Nemo's most "sophisticated" YouTube video to date. It was fun to make. I even figured out some frame transitions. It includes my favorite photos of Nemo and some footage of him moving. It will likely be my last one for awhile. Will need to accumulate new footage. I'm sure there will be an unending supply of adorable Nemo photos for the blog though.

Aside from my having a busy morning camped out on my sofa recuperating from surgery, Nemo had quite a busy morning too. He made two laps around the kitchen when I first woke up stopping to check out his domain: was his cuttlebone still the way he left it, was anything moved for which he did not give permission, and something must be going on inside his igloo that he keeps stopping in for brief visits.

He seems to be more active when both Brian and I are here. We are usually in the living room and each of us will say hello to him as we pass by his habitat on our way to the kitchen. Today he decided to venture into the living room surprising Brian as he went toward the kitchen. I remained on the sofa and was greatly amused by his marching between the big chair and ottoman and circling back into the kitchen. For two days he has been a lump. Today must be activity day.

As you can see, I caught him in another unusual relaxation pose this morning. What is it with his legs? Brian thinks he's double jointed. lol.

"Outward Stretching Palms" Yoga Basking

So far, no turtle owner has come forward to let me know that Nemo's seemingly strange poses are normal. I don't know what goes on in his little turtle mind to choose his basking poses, but the common element of his basking ritual is to turn in 90 degree increments until he has basked all sides. Just before I took this picture, his head was straight up in what I call the periscope position for maximum "sun" exposure to his neck. I do think he's a little ham since he often looks right at the camera.

This particular pose is unusual because of the position of his front feet--outward stretching palms. See his back right leg stretched straight back? His left toes can be seen behind and to the left of his head. Must be comfy to him.

Today was a blanket basking day as opposed to a log basking day. I wonder what determines what kind of day it will be.

Nemo had his first "home alone" experience this past weekend when I unexpectedly had a two-night stay in the hospital. Poor little guy had his basking light on all night on Friday. Saturday night, Brian checked on him and had some quality bonding time. He really is enamored with Nemo. I think Nemo was mad at me when I came home for abandoning him. He perked up when I first went over to talk to him but then he turned around in a little turtle huff and crawled under his blue blanket. About an hour later, I noticed he had worked his way from under the blanket to the opposite side to peek out so he wouldn't miss any of the view.

His new diet isn't working too well yet. I did order some special turtle veggie treats. Am hoping he might actually like them. He continues to have his own mind and surprises me everyday with something adorable. Me and a reptile. I still can't believe it.

Nemo Goes to the Vet

Today was Nemo's big day out. I placed him in a deep magazine holder because I knew the plastic containers I had he would climb out of. Well he was climbing out of this one too. He'd get his little front toes hooked on the ledge and start pulling. Strong little guy. He was much calmer on the drive back than going.

Very nice lady vet. She pronounced Nemo healthy and handsome. Will have to place him on the tough love diet though. Turtles can go two to three WEEKS without food and be okay! So I needn't fret about him not chowing down every two or three days.

New diet will be everything he's supposed to have mushed together so he doesn't have a choice. If he wants the good stuff, he'll have to ingest some of the leafy greens and veggies. Back to the market. I was buying a bag of whatever to remove one green bean or one asparagus only to find out he hated it. I think stores should sell corn by the kernel and broccoli by the sprout. That will be 49 cents please.

After arriving home, I placed Nemo in his zen garden to see if he might look around for some high protein worms or slugs. Of course not. He figured out how to scale the side of the terra cotta pot and look at me pleadingly to get him out of there.

One thing good about vet visits is that, if a pet has not allowed handling, the owner becomes the good guy at the vet's office. Pet becomes very touchable and even clingy. After getting into his un-natural habitat of blankies and zen plants, Nemo took a very long bath in his little pool. I guess all that stress dehydrated him. Omg. He can't have anymore toasted bagel. He'll probably go through withdrawal. The prosciutto bugs are okay though as a treat. Yay!