Every turtle reminds me of Beetle!

Well... Hello there, Mr. Turtle!

We discovered this cute little Box turtle down by the koi pond this evening. Funny...

because it appears that he might have been attracted to our Faux turtle under the ferns

When I was a little Girl, all I wanted was a dog. Didn't have to be a puppy. Didn't even

have to be cute dog. I just wanted a dog, and any dog would do. When I would ask, (beg)

my parents for a dog, I was always told we couldn't have one because dad was in the Army and

since we, moved a lot and didn't always have a Yard where a dog could run and play, I was told

it just wouldn't be fair to have a dog. I was seven, and all I knew was not having a dog wasn't

being fair to me! Besides, I reasoned, we always lived in Germany, (true) and in my long seven

years of life, I couldn't remember a time we didn't have a nice, Big yard. So one day, in the midst

of a particularly heartbreaking meltdown after I found what appeared to be an abandoned dog

(a Schnauzer, no less!) that I was desperate to claim as my own, mom and dad gave in and took me

to the pet store to pick out my very own... Wait for it! My very own, incredibly Cute but totally

not cuddly, Box turtle! And, I was thrilled. Finally! A pet of my own. The neighbor kids, Timothy

and Debbie Echevaria could keep their fluffy little dog, Mitzy; I had my Beetle! Despite the fact that my

mother thought Beetle was creepy and would Never touch him, I loved my Beetle. Beetle was cool too. He

didn't stink, and unlike my friend's Hamster, he didn't keep me awake all night! Beetle slept in a plastic

(litter?) box in my bedroom and we Hung out together a lot in the backyard where I would sit in the grass

and feed him all the dark green clovers I could pick. Then one day, my Beetle disappeared and I was

inconsolable. Everyone searched the yard but Beetle was gone! But where? Where could a turtle

run off to? Finally, my dad spotted a place in the fence he said was big enough where Beetle probably

squeezed through to escape. And, that's how I became known in the neighborhood as the sad little

American girl whose Turtle ran away. A week went by, and although I still held out secret hope that

my Beetle would return, I had to be a Big girl and let Dad clean out Beetle's box and put it down into

the basement. Then, just as I was beginning to make it through a day without Crying, mom came

running into the house from outside, yelling at me to come Quick! and look outside. I couldn't

believe my eyes when I stepped out onto the patio and saw my sweet Beetle sitting there. It was

truly the happiest day! Beetle found his way home and never wandered off again. Probably

because Dad fixed that fence! Today, I just love that there are box turtles that Visit us here... 

Want to know what ever became of my Beetle? Well, unlike any dog I might

have picked out at that Pet store 36-years ago, my Beetle is still alive! Oh, yes! You

see, when we left Germany and couldn't take Beetle with us, we gave him to my cousin

in Augsburg. After a few years of enjoying Beetle, my cousin, aunt and uncle donated him

to the Kleinzoo (little zoo) Wasserstern, (water-Star) where I'm told he lives happily today!