Rebel's Out!

This evening I found Rebel meandering in the compound. I've been worried about him for a month, because all the other turtles have been out and active. I had just about decided that a mole had chewed on him while in hibernation and he died under there from an infection. And the guy is all cleaned up, too, meaning he's been out for a while and has somehow managed to escape detection, otherwise he would be caked with dried mud.

Rebel is homegrown, meaning he hatched under our care, 7 1/2 years old, and our only male. Last year he became sexually active and we believe he must have been practicing, or else shooting blanks, because none of the resulting eggs were fertile. We're hoping he becomes the sperminator this year.

Our beautiful boy


...and another view


...and one more because he's just so handsome, even in this view!

I don't know what to think about Twyla. She has the orange characteristics of a male, but all other signs (tail, toenails, and plastron) are feminine. She spent a lot of time last year and already this year "making it" with our females. All of them. Repeatedly. Like a boy. After I caught her in the act last year I checked her over and again proclaimed her to be a girl. Kinky.

You can tell she isn't in full-blown hookup here. She always seems to do this towards dusk, after they should all be tucked in for the night
Because of a lung and breathing problem brought on by varnish and fragrances at work I have not felt well enough to go hiking. This weekend I'm going to Kansas City to visit my nephew and watch him in his school musical, then I'm taking off Mon and Tues. I plan to catch up on some relaxing hiking then. Strenuous hiking, but relaxing because it's away from people. Yea!

The wild strawberries in the compound have gone crazy. The turtles and the birds enjoy them


The cute little blue day flower I took so many pics of last summer are sprouting up. This one is springing up in a post, and a couple of others are coming out of the crevices of the retaining wall


After a hail storm about 4 weeks ago I noticed a lot of chipping and peeling of paint on the decorative trim along the bottom of the back of the house. The lower window ledges, too. I've scraped and peeled, finally applied a primer, and will soon get to the actual paint. Instead of re-staining the picnic table I decided to paint it the color of the trim as well. I hope it isn't the kind of paint that rubs off on peoples' butts after sitting down. I would hate that.