Don't you think it's about time for a Houdini update?

Well, she's doing juuuust fine.

She has now officially lasted 7 months longer than my first turtle did.  Here are my 7 (one for each additional month she's survived) most favorite memories of her from this summer.

In no particular order:

3.  Losing her in the flower bed.  This spring, I thought I'd take her outside to weed with me.  I thought it would help us bond.  I lost her for about 20 minutes.  At minute 17 I started to feel really panicked because I suddenly remembered she's a burrowing turtle.  She could have buried herself ANYWHERE in the flower bed.  At minute 18 I decided that if I didn't find her in the next 2 minutes, I would have to go ask my old lady neighbor to come out and help me look.  At minute 19 I started to lose hope and began creating a lie to tell Ray... I knew he would take her missing-ness the hardest.  Luckily, at minute 20 I found her.  She was out in the gutter of the road.  If I didn't know how much she loved life, I would have suspected her for suicidal.

6.  Telling her goodnight.  I used to turn her heat lamp off manually every night.  I'd turn it off and say, "Gooooood Night!"  Except, sometimes when Ray would be gone (traveling for work) I'd leave it on and use it as my night light.  One of those nights I started laughing in bed when I heard her mutter, "Good grief!  Is this day ever going to end?"  Now, she has a timer on her heat lamp.  So, when I hear it click off, from where ever I am in the house, I shout, "GOOOOOD NIIIIIIIGHT HOUDINIIIIII!"

(Eating a worm... the only thing that makes her excited)

1.  Having her run away from home.  I could relate with this one because I still remember the time I ran away from home when I was 3.  Sometimes you just need a break from you home life, chores, mundane routine.  Unfortunately Houdini didn't have the resolve I possessed.  She only lasted 30 minutes.  I lasted 3 days.  I shouldn't have been surprised by her attempt, though.  She'd been showing all the signs of running for months.

7.  Watching her eat a worm.  Or a pill bug, or a moth, or a banana.  Nothing makes a parent more proud than having a good eater.

(Eating a banana and lettuce)

4.  Losing her in the house one day after I gave her a bath, and finding her half way down the staircase.  I'm not sure if she was doing it step-by-step, or if she had decided to take them 6 at a time by rolling down.

2.  Having Ray make her a "car seat" so he could take her to Moses Lake to be turtle sat.  He took an ice-cream bucket and filled it half way with dirt.  He put Houdini in it.  Then he filled the rest of the bucket up with dirt and put the lid on... but not too tight.  He also threw 2 worms in there with her... something to play with.  This was ALL his idea... just being ingenious.  I had nothing to do with it, but still laugh when I think about it.

(Houdini sitting on her rock.  Since it was spring time, Ray thinks she was hoping it was another turtle)

5.  Hmmmm, I'm out of favorite memories.  I guess I only have 6.  Oh wait.  I thought of one.  I love that she doesn't like us.  Ray's still delusions himself and thinks she likes him, but how could an animal love a master that they're scared to death of?  If we go anywhere near her, she sucks into her shell really fast or runs and hides under the log in her aquarium.

(The bow Ray tied around her when he gave her to me for my birthday)