Lady Hermann not her usual self

[zolasmum]

Good morning dear Angie and Zola,

Thank you both very much for your kind thoughts.
The Lady seems quite well in herself this morning; she has had another warm bath and no sign of mucus this time thankfully. Her nostrils seem clear. She has been walking around near the Aga and has her heat lamp rigged up nearby. she has reclaimed her hut and has been scraping and bumping around in it. I put a supply of freshly washed and dried orchid bark in there and hopefully she has accepted it.
She hasn't eaten anything yet although i have offered her soggies and dandelions.
no toilet breaks yet either! Still, all this activity will help i daresay.
Her weight, yesterday, before her bath was 1485g so she lost a little bit of weight since last December, but not too bad.
We hope you are enjoying your spring adventures, gorgeous Super Zola, and hope you have some warm sunshine to luxuriate in.
With love from the Lady Teztez and her retainer, Ruth xx

Dear Ruth - I'm so glad Teztez is getting back to her normal and magnificent self. I'm not surprised she hadn't had a toilet break, as I believe it takes quite a while for food to go through a tortoise. But she looks great !
Zola will no doubt be communicating with her very soon.
Love from Angie and Zola xxx

 

[ruthiepo]

 

[ruthiepo]

Hello dearest Zola and Angie,
Here is the serene Lady, soaking up a little sunshine, although I had to bring her in after a few minutes as it was about to rain)
She seems very well; we had family for a meal on Sunday and she was sitting on the youngest child's lap, enjoying being stroked, and she suddenly did her long awaited wee!!
Our little granddaughter was not at all upset, took it as a compliment ! We could quickly wash her dress on the express wash!
Teztez then condescended to accept some pieces of tomato and cucumber.
Cowslips and bluebells are blooming at the bottom of the garden where little Pete is buried. It looks very pretty. We also think we have seen Goldcrests in our garden, maybe even nesting in a box Bush!
Teztez is very grateful for all the kind wishes you have sent her during her long cold sleep.
She sends fond wishes and best regards to you, her kind friend Zola
Love from Ruth xx

 

[zolasmum]

Dear Ruth - how lovely to get your photos- Teztez looks magnificent, as always, and Zola will be delighted to see her. Of course it is a compliment to get weed on by the lovely Lady - and a great honour. We have had a strange and painful few days - I fell over and bashed the top of my head hard on some furniture - I didn't tell Richard for several days, but in the end I thought I had better, as there was a lump and a sticky mess - he was a bit horrified, but by then it didn't hurt so much. Then yesterday, I slipped and fell again, on the kitchen floor , landing on my forehead - no way of hiding it from Richard, as I felt a lump coming up straight away ! My main problem was that I had an appointment tomorrow at Tavistock hospital, for my migraine injections - I was afraid the nurse would refuse to do them because of injecting into the bruises ! However, I got a call from the hospital today to say the nurse was off sick, and my appointment has been postponed for a couple of weeks, which was a relief.
Luckily Richard is ok - and Zola, of course. At least I have an excuse for being rather wobbly.!
Just before I wrote this, I was watching Richard feeding mealworms to a robin - it stood on his hand to pick them up and flew off carrying them. So maybe we will eventually have baby robins coming to feed too.
We had longtailedtits (all one word, in case it gets censored) on one of the feeders yesterday.
Zola and I haven't missed a single night in saying goodnight to you and the wonderful Lady -he will be very glad to know she is up and well.
Love from Angie - and Zola too, of course xxxxx

 

[ruthiepo]

Dear Angie!
I am so sorry to hear of your fall.
That sounds very nasty, what a horrid thing to happen and a shock to the system.
I do hope the bump is healing up, do you have arnica tablets or cream?
I'm so sorry to hear about this and am quite worried.
I'm thankful you didn't break any bones.
Having that to contend with as well as the migraines is rather a lot. I do trust you soon recover and feel well again. I will be thinking of you, as indeed I always do
Love to you all from Ruth xx

 

[zolasmum]

Dear Angie!
I am so sorry to hear of your fall.
That sounds very nasty, what a horrid thing to happen and a shock to the system.
I do hope the bump is healing up, do you have arnica tablets or cream?
I'm so sorry to hear about this and am quite worried.
I'm thankful you didn't break any bones.
Having that to contend with as well as the migraines is rather a lot. I do trust you soon recover and feel well again. I will be thinking of you, as indeed I always do
Love to you all from Ruth xx

Dear Ruth - Zola has gone out with his dad , so he hasn't seen the Lady Teztez's photos yet - but I told him she was fully awake, and he looked very pleased.
I have been putting arnica cream on my forehead, and the bumpis going down, but still sore - but I have a very dramatic dark purple bruise round my eye ! Also I'm very shaky and unsteady - so I must be very careful around Zola.
Lucky you having cowslips in your garden. I don't recall seeing any growing wild around Devon, though we get lots of bluebells. We went to visit a bluebell wood a few days ago, on Dartmoor - we go every year - but there weren't even any leaves yet! I suppose it is colder there -we will try again in 2 or 3 weeks. There may be violets too.
Richard is feeding a robin in our back garden who takes nearly all of the mealworms away, presumably to give to his mate on the eggs - it would be lovely to have some baby ones around too - the bird numbers definitely went down last year, because of all the building work next door, despite being fed by us twice a day.
I'm sure I will feel better soon - please don't worry - after all, I have Nurse Zola to look after me !
Love from Angie xxx
Here is Zola showing his professional skills some years ago! xxxxx

 

[zolasmum]

Dear guardian of the magnificent Lady - Zola was delighted to know that she is awake and as beautiful as ever !!!
I am grateful for his kindness to me - he seems to sense I'm not in a fit state to be teased or (playfully) attacked. If I go out at all, I shall have to wear sunglasses, even if it's raining - my eye looks quite scary. When we lived in London,many years ago, I had a couple of "Drop attacks", as the doctor called them -falling flat on my face with a rucksack on my back, on my way to work - nothing serious - I did get tested - but poor Richard got some nasty looks on the tube, when he was accompanying me - people seemed to think it was his fault that I was bruised .Far from it!
We have had some very heavy rain here, and a hosepipe ban until December, but the garden is looking ideal for Zola - thousands of dandelions.
Please convey our respectful compliments to your treasured charge - we look forward to more news of her.
Love from Angie and Zola xxxxx

 

[MenagerieGrl]

Dear guardian of the magnificent Lady - Zola was delighted to know that she is awake and as beautiful as ever !!!
I am grateful for his kindness to me - he seems to sense I'm not in a fit state to be teased or (playfully) attacked. If I go out at all, I shall have to wear sunglasses, even if it's raining - my eye looks quite scary. When we lived in London,many years ago, I had a couple of "Drop attacks", as the doctor called them -falling flat on my face with a rucksack on my back, on my way to work - nothing serious - I did get tested - but poor Richard got some nasty looks on the tube, when he was accompanying me - people seemed to think it was his fault that I was bruised .Far from it!
We have had some very heavy rain here, and a hosepipe ban until December, but the garden is looking ideal for Zola - thousands of dandelions.
Please convey our respectful compliments to your treasured charge - we look forward to more news of her.
Love from Angie and Zola xxxxx

Dear Zolasmum,
I can sympathize with your situation, Hosepipe bans are hard to deal with. We here in California have had below average rains & Snow's in our Sierra's for the last 3 years, But this winter we have had an abundance. Our typical annual rainfall for the San Francisco Bay Area is about 24" (600mm), But at my home in El Sobrante this year I received 37"+ (940mm) and all the hosepipe restrictions have been removed. We are still requested to conserve, But that we can deal with.

 

[zolasmum]

Dear guardian of the magnificent Lady - Zola was delighted to know that she is awake and as beautiful as ever !!!
I am grateful for his kindness to me - he seems to sense I'm not in a fit state to be teased or (playfully) attacked. If I go out at all, I shall have to wear sunglasses, even if it's raining - my eye looks quite scary. When we lived in London,many years ago, I had a couple of "Drop attacks", as the doctor called them -falling flat on my face with a rucksack on my back, on my way to work - nothing serious - I did get tested - but poor Richard got some nasty looks on the tube, when he was accompanying me - people seemed to think it was his fault that I was bruised .Far from it!
We have had some very heavy rain here, and a hosepipe ban until December, but the garden is looking ideal for Zola - thousands of dandelions.
Please convey our respectful compliments to your treasured charge - we look forward to more news of her.
Love from Angie and Zola xxxxx

Dear Ruth - Zola would like you to see this photo, taken by his dad from the upstairs window of his music/computer room. It is above our garage, and is the only upstairs room we have - we had it built for Richard to be able to have a space of his own to do stuff. It overlooks the fields across the road, and at the moment has a lot of lambs. They have been racing from side to side of the field, which is very funny - but then, our neighbour appeared and this is what happened !!! Isn't that lovely !!! I think she is only feeding a few of the lambs - probably ones whose mother has more than one lamb, and not enough milk. We will ask the girl about them when we see her.I think it is a great picture, and I hope you can see it properly. Love from Angie and Zola xxx

 

[MenagerieGrl]

Dear Ruth - Zola would like you to see this photo, taken by his dad from the upstairs window of his music/computer room. It is above our garage, and is the only upstairs room we have - we had it built for Richard to be able to have a space of his own to do stuff. It overlooks the fields across the road, and at the moment has a lot of lambs. They have been racing from side to side of the field, which is very funny - but then, our neighbour appeared and this is what happened !!! Isn't that lovely !!! I think she is only feeding a few of the lambs - probably ones whose mother has more than one lamb, and not enough milk. We will ask the girl about them when we see her.I think it is a great picture, and I hope you can see it properly. Love from Angie and Zola xxx
View attachment 356506

Aw'wwww, such a cute picture to see every day...

 

[ruthiepo]

 

[zolasmum]

View attachment 356512

Oh, how magnificent the Lady looks - Zola has gone to bed, so will have to wait until tomorrow to see her! Is that a mealworm in the bottom right corner ? We went to the pet shop in Launceston today, to get some mealworms - there is a robin who appears every time we come out, and takes them from Richards hand - he flies off with them - doesn't eat any himself.
Love from Angie xxx

 

[ruthiepo]

Hello Angie, I love your picture of the lambs!
What an interesting view to look out on.
How lovely to have a robin coming as close as that, he evidently trusts Richard completely. It isn't a mealworm, it's a sort of catkin from the silver birch tree.. I have had dreadful hayfever from tree pollen this spring, have never had it in my life but since having dreaded covid, I have succumbed.
Such a nuisance.
Teztez has been patrolling her garden, eating fresh teasel leaves, and plantain, and I saw her engulfing some sticky lad's love, hope it's alright for her to eat! She seems very full of beans this spring, she insists on going outside, and once there, marches off to bask in a sheltered spot, then moves off down the garden. I think she knows her name, when I call her she definitely reacts, putting her head out, or stopping what she is doing, or even making towards me!
Hope lovely Zola is well, we often think of you all.
Much love to you all from Ruth xxx

 

[zolasmum]

Hello Ruth - it's great that Teztez is doing so well - she is obviously very happy.
We have got on friendly terms with robins both here and when we lived in Nottingham -all it takes is live mealworms and patience. In Nottingham we had a particularly friendly one who we called Erroll, who really seemed to enjoy being with us, Richard took a photo of him which he sent his dad in Canada, and his dad loved it so much he insisted on having it by his bed as he died.
And here we have let our postman offer worms to the robin we had at the time, and he was so delighted that it stood on his hand.! Also we have had robins bringing their babies to us, to let them get worms from us too - and there are few things more enchanting than a baby robin on your hand !!!l
You do need live mealworms (Pets at home sell them) and to give the worms dry oatmeal to keep them going.
I'm so sorry about your hay fever - that is so unfair ! Luckily neither of us get it. I hope it wears off soon.
Love to you and the amazing and magnificent Lady
from Angie and Zola xxxxx

 

[zolasmum]

Hello again Ruth - Richard advised me to tell you that you have to start with your robin by putting a mealworm on the ground , and stepping back. In a few days or weeks, he will be thinking "It will compromise my safety, but I think I'm brave enough to risk it for the sake of my family," - and he will fly up to you. Eventually you may end up thinking "That robin is there every time I go out, and gives me no peace !
Love from Angie xxx

 

[zolasmum]

Hello once more - Richard told me to warn you not to wear anything red when encouraging your robin - today he accidentally did so, and the robin wouldn't come near him until he took it off.
Angie and Zola xxxxx

 

[ruthiepo]

Hello Angie, that's so interesting!!
We will try the Robin whispering in due course. We have one resident in the garden, have seen him hopping around. There is also a sparrowhawk who hunts around this vicinity. We have seen him snatch small birds from the garden, we thought he had taken the Robin but we have seen it since.
Teztez was quite overcome when I told her that she had been given the accolade of magnificent. She thanks you for this tribute, and sends her fond wishes to the Super Zola.
We all hope that you are feeling stronger, Angie, and sincerely hope that you have no more falls.
Hope you have a lovely day!
Love from Ruth and Teztez xx

 

[ruthiepo]

Dear Zola, here I am doing some intrepid climbing this afternoon, all this wood left lying around, I am giving it a thorough investigation.
I was very impressed by your picture surrounded by your nursing equipment.
You are an excellent example to us all.
Fond regards from Teztez xx

 

[zolasmum]

Dear Zola, here I am doing some intrepid climbing this afternoon, all this wood left lying around, I am giving it a thorough investigation.
I was very impressed by your picture surrounded by your nursing equipment.
You are an excellent example to us all.
Fond regards from Teztez xxView attachment 356581

That's just lovely, and I quite understand why the Lady would wish to explore. After all, she needs to keep an eye on anything going on in her garden.
Zola enjoys climbing, too - I'm not sure if he ever sent you the one of him rock-climbing, but here it is, anyway.
Maybe they would like going on an expedition together !
Love to you and deepest respects to your charming and talent charge
Angie and Zola xxxxxxx

 

[MenagerieGrl]

That's just lovely, and I quite understand why the Lady would wish to explore. After all, she needs to keep an eye on anything going on in her garden.
Zola enjoys climbing, too - I'm not sure if he ever sent you the one of him rock-climbing, but here it is, anyway.
Maybe they would like going on an expedition together !
Love to you and deepest respects to your charming and talent charge
Angie and Zola xxxxxxx


View attachment 356587

I love that picture of an athletic Zola, he "rock's", hehe