Lady Hermann not her usual self

ruthiepo

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Chippenham
Greetings, lovely Lady and your devoted retainer. I have just seen a photo of your delightful bottom in your bed - lucky me !! (I am referring to your bottom, dear lady, not Ruth's, of course - though no doubt hers is very nice in a human sort of way ) I am still quite lively, and not thinking about hibernating at all - people sometimes say,accusingly,to my parents "Shouldn't he be hibernating ?" - because that is the only thing they know about tortoises - so my parents have to explain that I have never chosen to do so - it's because I don't want to miss out on anything fun.
I will of course be thinking about you and your lovely dreams over the winter.
One thing I am not looking forward to is the fact that our electricity will be off for 24hours in December, as the electric pole outside our house has to be renewed. So my parents have told me they will carry me around inside their clothes if necessary all day - I think that might be nice !
My respectful regards to you and your faithful friend Ruth
Zola xx
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zolasmum

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Dear Lady and your kind retainer -before the weather got so bad, a few days ago my dad took me for a walk to the sea, as he often does, and there, where a stream enters the sea, we saw an old friend - a Little Egret, which had been been coming to the same place for several years, then mysteriously vanished. We were so pleased to see Chappie -Boy, as we call him -he was,as always, just where the water turns salty, flapping his big yellow feet in the water to stir up food. I am almost sure it is the same chap.
I thought you would like to see him
Respectful good wishes, as always, from Zola xxcb1a.jpgcby2.jpg
 

ruthiepo

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364
Location (City and/or State)
Chippenham
Dear Lady and your kind retainer -before the weather got so bad, a few days ago my dad took me for a walk to the sea, as he often does, and there, where a stream enters the sea, we saw an old friend - a Little Egret, which had been been coming to the same place for several years, then mysteriously vanished. We were so pleased to see Chappie -Boy, as we call him -he was,as always, just where the water turns salty, flapping his big yellow feet in the water to stir up food. I am almost sure it is the same chap.
I thought you would like to see him
Respectful good wishes, as always, from Zola xxView attachment 334058View attachment 334059
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ruthiepo

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Chippenham
Hello dear Zola, what beautiful pictures!
I have never seen an Egret before, and he certainly looks very striking.
What a lovely place to go for a walk, cosily tucked under your Dad's coat, enjoying the fresh air and sunshine on your distinguished nose.
Thank you so much for sharing your pictures.
With best wishes from your friend Teztez ❤
 

zolasmum

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Hello dear Zola, what beautiful pictures!
I have never seen an Egret before, and he certainly looks very striking.
What a lovely place to go for a walk, cosily tucked under your Dad's coat, enjoying the fresh air and sunshine on your distinguished nose.
Thank you so much for sharing your pictures.
With best wishes from your friend Teztez ❤
My mum and dad had never seen an egret until they came across one here by a pond on the moor - before I came to them ,I think - they were so rare wild in the UK that when Angie tried to look them up in her bird book, they were not listed. However, in recent years they have become more common,in some places, at least - but we have only ever seen this one here.
I should have mentioned that my dad took the photos,as always, while holding me in one hand, and his fairly large camera in the other.
Thank you for your compliment on my nose, dear TezTez, and all best wishes to your magnificent self and your charming companion. xx
 

ruthiepo

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Chippenham
Hello Zola, my faithful retainer has just been to visit me to check on the temperature in my cosy hut. The sun was shining a few minutes ago and i put my head out to enjoy its warming rays on my neck and shell.
Your lighthearted remarks about my bottom made my retainer giggle, I am glad it brightened your day, i have never caught sight of it myself, but my retainer strokes the frilled edges of my shell which i find soothing.
I hope you are enjoying your radicchio, i expect it helps to make your shell glossy and smooth.
How is your beak doing? My retainer actually dreamed about me recently, apparently i had caught one of my fore foot claws on something and it had torn out!! Really, what is she like! What a horrible dream! I am glad to say there was no truth in this frightful thought.
Am going back to sleep, it wont be long before my insides are quite empty and i shall be ready to sink into slumber. Very strange thought. Hope no-one is glueing themselves to roads or queueing for fuel when i wake up.
fond regards, and love to dear Angie from your friend Teztez
 

zolasmum

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Hello Zola, my faithful retainer has just been to visit me to check on the temperature in my cosy hut. The sun was shining a few minutes ago and i put my head out to enjoy its warming rays on my neck and shell.
Your lighthearted remarks about my bottom made my retainer giggle, I am glad it brightened your day, i have never caught sight of it myself, but my retainer strokes the frilled edges of my shell which i find soothing.
I hope you are enjoying your radicchio, i expect it helps to make your shell glossy and smooth.
How is your beak doing? My retainer actually dreamed about me recently, apparently i had caught one of my fore foot claws on something and it had torn out!! Really, what is she like! What a horrible dream! I am glad to say there was no truth in this frightful thought.
Am going back to sleep, it wont be long before my insides are quite empty and i shall be ready to sink into slumber. Very strange thought. Hope no-one is glueing themselves to roads or queueing for fuel when i wake up.
fond regards, and love to dear Angie from your friend Teztez
Hello, your delightful ladyship - I will be sorry when you go into your long slumber, though I hope we will continue our pleasant conversations when you wake up again - meanwhile, I hope your retainer will chat with me .
I would very much like to know your hibernating details - I have seen a photo of your box, of course - is it in the family fridge, or do you have a special one for yourself ? Does it have air holes or any thing ?
My mum has a recurrent dream, in which I am lost in some huge darkish rocky area, full of tortoises - she keeps lifting up rocks and looking in spaces between them - of course, if she saw me, she would recognise me at once, because of the split in my shell behind my neck. She never does, and wakes up very upset. So i understand your retainer's dream, and how she must feel -how relieved to know you are safe.
Loving regards from Zola and Angie xx
 

ruthiepo

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Joined
Jun 14, 2020
Messages
364
Location (City and/or State)
Chippenham
Hello, your delightful ladyship - I will be sorry when you go into your long slumber, though I hope we will continue our pleasant conversations when you wake up again - meanwhile, I hope your retainer will chat with me .
I would very much like to know your hibernating details - I have seen a photo of your box, of course - is it in the family fridge, or do you have a special one for yourself ? Does it have air holes or any thing ?
My mum has a recurrent dream, in which I am lost in some huge darkish rocky area, full of tortoises - she keeps lifting up rocks and looking in spaces between them - of course, if she saw me, she would recognise me at once, because of the split in my shell behind my neck. She never does, and wakes up very upset. So i understand your retainer's dream, and how she must feel -how relieved to know you are safe.
Loving regards from Zola and Angie xx
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ruthiepo

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Location (City and/or State)
Chippenham
Good evening Zola,
My mum and I are very glad that you don't get lost in the frightening place in Angie's dream, we can imagine how the anxious feeling of that could linger even when awake in daylight.
I think it shows how very special tortoises are, no one wants us to be hurt or lost.
I have been in my hut all day, only being lifted out for my warm bath. My retainer knows that I probably won't eat anything but she puts a few soggies on my plate and puts it in the doorway of my boudoir just in case I feel peckish.
Would you believe it, a young cat flits into the garden and actually comes and nibbles my soggies!
It seems to like them, poor thing, it looks very thin. The trouble is, it also poos in the overgrown part of the garden where I like to hide in the summer time, so my Dad has to make sure it's safe for me to stroll around.
My winter holiday fridge is in the cellar.
I have it to myself, so that the temperature stays as steady as possible between 5 degrees and 7 degrees centigrade.
I have two thermometers, one in the box with me and one on the fridge shelf, also a hygrometer to keep track of the humidity. My plastic box has lots of dry orchid bark in it so I can burrow down if I want to, and the whole box is wrapped in bubble wrap so it won't accidentally touch the cold element at the back of the fridge.
My lid is left slightly off, so I can breathe and so that my retainer can peep at me and check my reflex.
This happens every day so that fresh oxygen can get into my fridge.
Each month I am weighed in my sleep so my mum can be sure I am not losing too much weight then carefully tucked up again.
The cellar is cool and a bit damp as an underground spring seeps into a corner and the water is pumped out at intervals. The house is very old, and is quite an ecosystem, with spiders and woodlice, butterflies and moths, a tortoise, and for a few glorious months in the summer a colony of swifts nesting in the roof.
When I hear them screaming around I know it's spring and summer and how we all miss them when they go so suddenly at the end of July.
We also have sparrows and a regular visiting sparrow hawk who eats his prey amongst the overgrown teasels and twiggy bushes where I love to hide away.
Well Zola, my retainer and I will very much look forward to keeping in touch even though I will be asleep, hopefully not for 100 years, and I hope you enjoy your special treats at Christmas time.
Fond regards and best wishes from your sleepy friend Teztez and Ruth
 

zolasmum

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Dear Lady - as you will soon be asleep, I am sending you a little photo of me to amuse your dreams.
- i look forward to talking with you again next year, and meanwhile will have lots to tell Ruth to pass on to you when the spring returns.
Keep warm and well
Zola xx
SuperZola.jpg
 

zolasmum

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Thank you Zola!
You are an awesome tortoise, this heroic picture of you will cheer me in my fridge.
It is a privilege to know you and I am looking forward to springtime, from your friend Teztez
Dear Lady -I hope you will have a lovely peaceful sleep - some people might say "beauty sleep ", but of course you are lovely as you are. I shall enjoy thinking of you and the nice things you have said about me, in your absence.
With love and best wishes from SuperZola xx
 

ruthiepo

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364
Location (City and/or State)
Chippenham
Dear Lady -I hope you will have a lovely peaceful sleep - some people might say "beauty sleep ", but of course you are lovely as you are. I shall enjoy thinking of you and the nice things you have said about me, in your absence.
With love and best wishes from SuperZola xx
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ruthiepo

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Location (City and/or State)
Chippenham
Hello Super Zola!
Hope you are having a good day, I am being capricious this morning, have had my bath and a neck stroke and am having a walk in the garden, but am rejecting with a firm beak the blandishments of my retainer trying to coax me to eat.
It's quite a problem but I am not tempted.
Here are a couple of pictures of me this morning.
Best regards from Teztez
 

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zolasmum

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Hello Super Zola!
Hope you are having a good day, I am being capricious this morning, have had my bath and a neck stroke and am having a walk in the garden, but am rejecting with a firm beak the blandishments of my retainer trying to coax me to eat.
It's quite a problem but I am not tempted.
Here are a couple of pictures of me this morning.
Best regards from Teztez
Your dear Ladyship - thank you so much for those lovely photos. You have a very pretty shell, and the photo of your face shows what an intelligent and thoughtful tortoise you must be, as well as beautiful. I am honoured that you consider me your friend.
Very best wishes from Zola x
 

ruthiepo

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Joined
Jun 14, 2020
Messages
364
Location (City and/or State)
Chippenham
Your dear Ladyship - thank you so much for those lovely photos. You have a very pretty shell, and the photo of your face shows what an intelligent and thoughtful tortoise you must be, as well as beautiful. I am honoured that you consider me your friend.
Very best wishes from Zola x
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ruthiepo

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364
Location (City and/or State)
Chippenham
Thank you Zola, you are a true gentleman tortoise. I feel quite overcome by these kind compliments and will do my best to deserve them. I feel you are a sort of noble Scarlet Pimpernel type of tortoise, perhaps one of your nicknames is Sir Percy.
It's very autumnal, cool, damp and still, I have insisted on wandering down the garden after my bath, feeling restless, I am looking for a really cunning place to hide so that my retainer's hopeful plans for my refrigeration will be thwarted.
I will keep you updated.
From somewhere secret in the garden, your friend Teztez
 

zolasmum

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Thank you Zola, you are a true gentleman tortoise. I feel quite overcome by these kind compliments and will do my best to deserve them. I feel you are a sort of noble Scarlet Pimpernel type of tortoise, perhaps one of your nicknames is Sir Percy.
It's very autumnal, cool, damp and still, I have insisted on wandering down the garden after my bath, feeling restless, I am looking for a really cunning place to hide so that my retainer's hopeful plans for my refrigeration will be thwarted.
I will keep you updated.
From somewhere secret in the garden, your friend Teztez
My dear Ladyship - I greatly appreciate your charming remarks - however, I would like to suggest that it would be very distressing to your retainer if she were unable to find you. After all, her main purpose in life is to care for you and protect you - I know that is the case with my parents too - and she is no doubt looking forward to tucking you up safely in your winter bed and playing with her thermometers etc to make you totally comfortable.I fear she would be very lonely if you were not there, and I know you are too kind to allow her to suffer.
My mum's been wondering exactly what your "soggies" consist of because she thinks I might like to try some too - could you ask your retainer, please, when she manages to find you?
I hope this communication will reach you in your secret place in the garden - how delightful you must look with your lovely eyes shining out from the surrounding greenery !
With deep regards from Sir Percy Super Zola x
 

ruthiepo

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Joined
Jun 14, 2020
Messages
364
Location (City and/or State)
Chippenham
My dear Ladyship - I greatly appreciate your charming remarks - however, I would like to suggest that it would be very distressing to your retainer if she were unable to find you. After all, her main purpose in life is to care for you and protect you - I know that is the case with my parents too - and she is no doubt looking forward to tucking you up safely in your winter bed and playing with her thermometers etc to make you totally comfortable.I fear she would be very lonely if you were not there, and I know you are too kind to allow her to suffer.
My mum's been wondering exactly what your "soggies" consist of because she thinks I might like to try some too - could you ask your retainer, please, when she manages to find you?
I hope this communication will reach you in your secret place in the garden - how delightful you must look with your lovely eyes shining out from the surrounding greenery !
With deep regards from Sir Percy Super Zola x
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Good afternoon Sir Percy alias Super Zola,
You will be relieved to know that my retainer did manage to find my cunning hiding place, I had dug in and wedged my shell firmly under the ivy and tangled shrubs and old lavender stems.
She has attached some photos of my lair.
I appreciate your wise words, I know my retainer would miss me terribly if I vanished into the depths of the garden, but I have a rebellious urge to take control of my own arrangements for the winter.
However I am sure you are right and i will be safer in a clean dry chilled fridge with digital thermometers recording everything and keeping my retainer's mind occupied. My retainer has also included photos of my soggies, it is nutrazu, sometimes known as mazuri in the US, I have them moistened with warm water and dusted with a little miner-all powder.
They come from TheTortoiseHut a very helpful supplier of all sorts of tortoise needs.
I usually eat them quite enthusiastically, of course, I am encouraged to eat dandelions, clover, cress, etc but just now I am refusing everything, my retainer is a bit worried because I have lost a bit of weight, we are not sure if this is normal.
I am now tucked up in my own hut, adventures at an end for today.
Fond regards and thank you for your concern from your friend Teztez
 
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