Dear Members and Friends - our FALL meeting will be held on Saturday, October 20th from 1pm until ? And we will (weather permitting) gather behind the Belle Cooledge Library to the right of the gazebo on their back lawn and hopefully the picnic table and benches will be available as they were last time. If we are lucky, the gazebo will be empty and we will be able to use it. I don't want to 'reserve' it because someone will have to be there by 11 AM and 'hold' it for us. Feel free to bring your turtle or tortoise for a pre-hibernation checkup. I'm not sure who will be doing this but most of us are long term tortoise keepers and can judge pretty well whether or not a turtle or tortoise is healthy enough to make it through the winter months. If your pet has already decided to go to sleep for the winter, please leave it alone and do not bring it to the meeting. If it had been eating and acting normally with clear eyes - I would say it is safe to allow it to hibernate. But where? Well, I allow mine to sleep wherever they want to and hope it is not in an area that could flood. Some species do well if the ground is wet but others, such as desert tortoises, could become sick and die if they are hibernating in a very moist area. So try to be aware of where they have decided to sleep. If you prefer your pet not to sleep, that is ok too. There is no 'law' that says it 'has' to hibernate. And if you are uncomfortable with it, keep it awake indoors. We can help with that. And don't read too much about it on You Tube because most of that information is not appropriate for our area of the United States! This is not Chicago or North Dakota! Lucky us!!! The TURTLERAMA was well attended last June 2 and it was a good choice of a date because the temperature was only a little over 90 degrees and I did hear a few complaints, however, every weekend throughout the summer had 100+ degree temperatures. Thanks to all of my club members and helpers for making the event a success. Tracy and Steve lugged their huge Sulcata, Ben, to the event in a horse trailer and set up all of the canopies for us…….I believe we had the same exhibitors as last year which included Terri, KC, Melissa, Susan, Craig showed her walking sticks, Corrine, Linda (we love your water plants) Sally, Michael, Robin brought his Greek babies. Terri Sheffield also had her redfoot tortoise on display and helped the children at the Kids Korner Krafts. I think we should have the event in June next year as well, does everyone agree????. By the way, thanks to my neighbor, Brian, who jumped the battery in my old station wagon so I could get to the show….. Thanks to all who donated the plants including Ruby Nakano, a good friend to me and the club, The leftovers came home with me and are enjoying life in my front garden. MANY THANKS to Incredible Pets for allowing us to have the event. SEE YOU AT THE MEETING (and if not, then hopefully you can make the January meeting at Round Table Pizza) Date to be announced............. AT THE BUNKER The year went by very fast, it seemed to me. I apologize for not having the Box Turtle Blowout I kept talking about. There just didn't seem to be enough time to put an event like that together plus the weather was so hot each weekend and there is no shade in my driveway. Maybe next year I can set up one of those tents (if anyone is willing to help?) I have one here. At this time, I am making sure everyone is healthy enough to hibernate and also cleaning up the greenhouse for this year's inhabitants. They will include African tortoises such as Leopards, the two redfoots, and any other species who refuse to sleep! I do not have any Sulcatas which is good because I think they would try to break through the glass. They do not like to be enclosed. Sometimes the Leopards become restless but it does not last too long. At least I get some rest during November, December and January. Fat Betty is still being naughty, hiding where I can hardly see her (she has lost some weight I guess?) and Just Jim and Suzi are still carrying on like newlyweds and in fact, they had 11 babies this year. The first one hatched too early and did not survive. I did buy a large rabbit hutch so the little ones could be on the grass and safe from predators and it has worked out very well. It was from Wayfair. They have a great variety of cages if anyone is interested. A lot of them are for chickens and rabbits but work for tortoises as well. Club members Stelios and his son Anthony kindly put it together for me which was GREAT. Believe it or not, Chester, the Elongata, is still alive. He was turned over to me before I ever started the club and was just doing adoptions for TEAM. And that would have been about 1977. And he was fully grown at that time. Amazing longevity. He still lumbers over to the back porch steps to the kitchen at midnight a few times a week awaiting a banana. And I dutifully obey! Before I close, I want to tell you what just happened after the last sentence. I am watching a small desert tortoise for a few weeks and as I was typing, I could hear a scratching sound in the wall? So I got up and went into the laundry room with a flashlight and sure enough, there was the tortoise behind the dryer. She is still there and I will ask my neighbor to help me move the dryer if she does not come out by herself. She did this a week ago and then suddenly appeared so she CAN get out. She simply walked into the family room and then the laundry room from the back porch. Smart cookie. HOWEVER, as I pointed my flashlight into the tiny place between the washer and dryer, I spotted something shiny wedged in between…...My heart skipped a beat.........could it be??? YES, it was the missing original keys to my van! FOUND AFTER THREE YEARS!! THANKS TO THE TORTOISE. What a relief it is to have the keys back, I guess they slipped down and now you know - I NEVER clean in between the washer and dryer…..DO YOU? PS -I climbed up onto the dryer and poked the tortoise with a yardstick and then she ran out on her own!!! And ate like crazy after that! Two Happy Endings!! HAVE A TERRIFIC HALLOWEEN, THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS!! See you at the park if you can make it on 10/16. Costumes on your tortoises will be welcomed. FOR SALE: Hatchling Box Turtles Easterns $25 ea. 3 toed $20 ea. All alert and eating. Joy 916-852-6520 or cornettejm@sbcglobal.net 2018 MUSK TURTLE hatchlings, limited amt. 2017, 2016 Musk turtles available. Contact to discuss price. johnlford@gmail.com