# I hate to mow!



## Yvonne G (Sep 21, 2013)

First of all, let me start out by saying, *"I HATE TO MOW!!!!!"* I will use any old excuse to get out of it...it's too windy, it's too hot, the grass is wet, it's too light, it's too dark...well, you get the picture.

Today I think I have a legimitate excuse. I had made two passes around the edge of the desert tortoise pen and was just starting on my third pass when I saw this in front of the mower:







Well, actually I only saw one, but I turned off the mower and went looking for more, and I found one more. 

So now I have a real excuse! I can't mow because there are probably two or three more of them hiding in the tall grass!

I guess one of the females I took in last spring was gravid. They still have a little nubbin on their belly. They're just fresh out of the nest. I never did see a hole where they came from. But aren't they just the cutest little things?


----------



## parrotlady (Sep 21, 2013)

They are so lucky, I guess we will have to call you Eagle eye.


----------



## Pokeymeg (Sep 21, 2013)

Wow!! I agree - You should never mow again!! =D (Though you'd never see itty bitty babies in tall grass either!)


----------



## mikeh (Sep 21, 2013)

Nice to see you were on the look out, but looks like the water dish wasn't so lucky. 

sent from mobile device using TFO app


----------



## wellington (Sep 21, 2013)

I agree, never mow again, never know how many babies may be trying to run from the chopping monster. What a great legit reason to get out of it
Cute babes btw.


----------



## TigsMom (Sep 21, 2013)

What a nice surprise! Good thing you found them before the mower found them and before the weather turns. Are you going to name them after your mower? LOL like John and Deere?


----------



## tortadise (Sep 21, 2013)

I hate mowing too Yvonne. That's why I pay Miguel to do it  but great excuse indeed today. Awesome little guys. I also notice perhaps that misty got ahold of that lid there maybe? Lol


----------



## DixieParadise (Sep 21, 2013)

Agree Yvonne. You have now been given the ruling by your peers to never mow again... (like that is going to work). Glad you had your eagle eyes on this morning, these guys are LUCKY. Hope you find more, look forward to an update.


----------



## LisaTurtle (Sep 21, 2013)

How cute and lucky!!! I agree with TigsMom on the names!


----------



## Carol S (Sep 21, 2013)

I am so glad you saw them. How horrible it would have been for them to be injured/killed by the lawn mower. They are so cute. I love desert tortoise hatchlings.


----------



## Yvonne G (Sep 21, 2013)

mikeh said:


> Nice to see you were on the look out, but looks like the water dish wasn't so lucky.
> 
> sent from mobile device using TFO app



I had to laugh out loud when I read this response. Most of my plastic bowls and lids look like this. I use them to offer a treat to Misty and when the treat is gone, she has to see if the bowl might be edible too.

I went back out there a bit ago and walked all over the yard again, and found one more. That makes three!


----------



## thatrebecca (Sep 21, 2013)

Wow! These little DT babies just hit the tortoise lottery and they don't even know it, ending up with the DT goddess, Yvonne. Between that and missing the mower, they may be the luckiest babies of the year.


Oh, and the other thing I love about this photo besides the darling babies and the chewed dish is the printed out 'To Do' list. So organized. Like the Mary Poppins of DT keepers.


----------



## ShellyTurtlesCats (Sep 21, 2013)

Aww!!! Lucky babies.

__________
~ Shelly ~


----------



## Thalatte (Sep 21, 2013)

You know how you solve the whole mowing issue?






Get more Torts!


----------



## ben awes (Sep 21, 2013)

Yvonne G said:


> First of all, let me start out by saying, *"I HATE TO MOW!!!!!"* I will use any old excuse to get out of it...it's too windy, it's too hot, the grass is wet, it's too light, it's too dark...well, you get the picture.
> 
> Today I think I have a legimitate excuse. I had made two passes around the edge of the desert tortoise pen and was just starting on my third pass when I saw this in front of the mower:
> 
> ...



How awesome is that find! WOW, like Christmas morning in the middle of September. It would feel like winning the lottery to me to find babies when I did not expect them! Great eyes to see them before the mower did.

What will you do with them? Sell them, raise them?

Ben


----------



## Team Gomberg (Sep 21, 2013)

Wow! Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed reading this AND some of the responses lol

Sent from my TFOapp


----------



## BeeBee*BeeLeaves (Sep 21, 2013)

I am selling my house and moving near you so I can adopt them. : )


Yvonne, are these from that huge female (that I totally fell in love with) which had oil or grease on her? She was so lovely. Are these her babies, left behind?


----------



## reatrocity (Sep 21, 2013)

Wow Yvonne! What a surprise! I'm glad their safe now. I would be absolutely horrified if I was mowing and found them. I definitely wouldn't want to mow then either. They are so cute!


----------



## Yvonne G (Sep 21, 2013)

They are up for adoption, and it's against the law to "sell" them, so the adoption is free, but I won't ship.

I don't know who the mama is. Never saw anyone digging nests.


----------



## mike taylor (Sep 21, 2013)

Wow those are some lucky torts . Ole eagle eye!

Sent from my C771 using TortForum mobile app


----------



## BeeBee*BeeLeaves (Sep 21, 2013)

I was just told I cannot sell my house to adopt baby tortoises. I am sad.


----------



## AnnV (Sep 21, 2013)

*Re: RE: I hate to mow!*



BeeBee*BeeLeaves said:


> I was just told I cannot sell my house to adopt baby tortoises. I am sad.



Bummer!

Ann from CT


So glad babies were seen before being chopped up!!!! :-0


----------



## TigsMom (Sep 21, 2013)

I think I just saw a bunch of members sneak away from their computers to go out into their yards to very carefully mow!!! LOL
yep, hearing the thunder of lots of lawn mowers purring.


----------



## BeeBee*BeeLeaves (Sep 21, 2013)

OMG nooooooo, don't mow! Baby tortoises in the midst! 
Southern California is no fun now. Wish I lived closer to Yvonne and those babies. Sigh.


----------



## Jabuticaba (Sep 21, 2013)

I'm glad you saw them, Yvonne! They're so cute. Hope you find more. 


May[CHERRY BLOSSOM], Hermann's [TURTLE][TURTLE], & Aussies (@YWG)


----------



## Maggie Cummings (Sep 21, 2013)

They are beautiful, Yvonne... I wish I could have them...


----------



## Irish (Sep 21, 2013)

Mowing sucks! Torts, on the other hand, rock!


----------



## Tom (Sep 21, 2013)

Wow! Really cool. Are those from that one really nice lookin' mama?


----------



## Team Gomberg (Sep 21, 2013)

*Re: RE: I hate to mow!*



BeeBee*BeeLeaves said:


> I was just told I cannot sell my house to adopt baby tortoises. I am sad.



hahaha! This made me laugh 

Sent from my TFOapp


----------



## Kapidolo Farms (Sep 22, 2013)

*Re: RE: I hate to mow!*



tortadise said:


> I hate mowing too Yvonne. That's why I pay Miguel to do it  but great excuse indeed today. Awesome little guys. I also notice perhaps that misty got ahold of that lid there maybe? Lol



Or perhaps confused one of the hatch mates as an aldabra deposit? Will




Sent from my SGH-T889 using TortForum mobile app


----------



## Yvonne G (Sep 22, 2013)

Yes, Misty does love her Aldabran poo!


----------



## Kapidolo Farms (Sep 22, 2013)

Yvonne G said:


> Yes, Misty does love her Aldabran poo!



Tamara has not had a pet dog, and Misty has sparked a 'want' she had not had before. Stop corrupting my wife! Will


----------



## kanalomele (Sep 22, 2013)

Wow! Great find! I love how nature can take such good care of itself. Then we come along with mowers and weed whackers and change everything. So glad you spotted these kids.


----------



## Yvonne G (Sep 22, 2013)

Will said:


> Tamara has not had a pet dog, and Misty has sparked a 'want' she had not had before. Stop corrupting my wife! Will



After living here for over a year, Misty has finally learned that it's ok for her to go through the hallway, the laundry room and kitchen and around back through the living room. I don't know how she determined that it was safe to do so, but its pretty cute. She just goes around and around.

Tell Tamara that Misty is one of a kind. She will never be able to find another dipso like her!


----------



## DevilsLettuce (Sep 22, 2013)

I would love to adopt those DT babies 
I think I'm less than 3 hours away from you too


----------



## Jabuticaba (Sep 22, 2013)

Did you find anymore, Yvonne? 


May[TURTLE]
Hermannis: Darwin & Wallace
Aussies: Dax, Vegas, & Cricket


----------



## Yvonne G (Sep 23, 2013)

No, just the three. I'm pretty sure there should be at least one more. I look every day, several times a day.


----------



## N2TORTS (Sep 23, 2013)

That is soooo cool .... you and Mr Kelly , having all the luck finding them strays. I have never got to experience that with torts ...only turtles. Congrads!.... Your new nick name " HAWK EYE" 

PS: Do you have a ride upon mower ...or stand and push?


----------



## DevilsLettuce (Sep 23, 2013)

Let me know when you need someone to adopt a couple DTs. I'm in the Bay Area, not too far from Clovis.


----------



## Yvonne G (Sep 23, 2013)

My mower is a front throw Trimmer brand. They are no longer in business and it bums me out. I'm hoping this mower will last me as long as I last, because I just can't have any other kind.

I only adopt to folks who live in my geographical area. I have to do yard inspections to be sure the tortoise yard is safe and secure so I'm comfortable knowing the tortoise is going to a good home.


----------



## DixieParadise (Sep 23, 2013)

New bucket list: Get to Dallas to see Tortadise and California to meet Yvonne and her wonder pets


----------



## Jabuticaba (Sep 23, 2013)

DixieParadise said:


> New bucket list: Get to Dallas to see Tortadise and California to meet Yvonne and her wonder pets



That's a great item for a bucket list! 


May[TURTLE]
Hermannis: Darwin & Wallace
Aussies: Dax, Vegas, & Cricket


----------



## BeeBee*BeeLeaves (Sep 23, 2013)

I wish my property could fly up into the air and go straight to Clovis and plop down, like Dorothy's house did. Block fence, sliding steel barriers, burrows and crazy tortoise happy landscape, and all. Then I could invited Yvonne for tea and sandwiches and a sight visit and I could adopt the little babies. Where is a strong Santa Ana wind gone haywire sideways when you need it? Sigh.


----------



## Yvonne G (Sep 23, 2013)

You hit upon one of my main wishes too. I'd love to have a block fence all around my property, with a footing that goes deep into the ground to keep out and in burrowers.


----------



## BeeBee*BeeLeaves (Sep 23, 2013)

So if my crazy wish to be flown in lock, stock and barrel happens, we touch ground by you. Or if I win MegaMillions, you get an all around block wall for your rescue! Deal. : )


----------



## E5150 (Sep 26, 2013)

I use a weed eater for this reason, I don't want to whack any more snakes.


----------



## Jacqui (Sep 26, 2013)

E5150 said:


> I use a weed eater for this reason, I don't want to whack any more snakes.



I am more afraid of using the weedwackers then my mower. Of course inside of tortoise and turtle enclosures I only use my hand help clippers. I have always had this fear of cutting a hatchling head off.


----------



## kathyth (Sep 26, 2013)

I'm with you! I would retire from mowing and would be obsessed with finding more. I'm sure if they are there, you will find them.
Desert torts are the ultimate!!


----------



## Yvonne G (Oct 4, 2013)

I went out into the desert tortoise yard to give them some broccoli (I get trimmings from Costco) and I found one more:







I found the first three 9/21, not quite two weeks under lights/heat/food, and look at the big difference in size. It was pretty cold last night. I was out this a.m. in my jacket and sweat pants...poor little baby!


----------



## thatrebecca (Oct 4, 2013)

Yvonne G said:


> I went out into the desert tortoise yard to give them some broccoli (I get trimmings from Costco) and I found one more:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Wow! Look at the wee little guy. Do you think he hatched at the same time and has been out there on his own all this time? If that doesn't show you the difference between wild and captivity living, I don't know what does.


----------

