

Does anyone know what type of tortoise he is and how can we tell his age and where on earth he should live and should he have a companion?



Does anyone know what type of tortoise he is and how can we tell his age and where on earth he should live and should he have a companion?


Yesterday, late afternoon, the eight most active members of the weekend group (the others were having an afternoon nap) joined me for a “country walk” across the footpaths and down to the village. No sooner had we set off than a car pulled up, wound down the window and revealed a friend that I hadn’t seen for some time plus her husband and one daughter and a very large dog. They also had a creature that they found on the road outside The Gables and, assuming that it had escaped from our menagerie, had knocked on our door to be greeted by a man who wasn’t Jeremy. It was a guest who knew nothing of the escapee. They were relieved to find me until I told them that said live contents of their shopping bag was not a resident of The Gables. They asked me to take it in as it would not get on with their large dog. So my crew and I continued on our walk and they turned round and took the creature back to our house and put it in a box in the cat barn. How exciting.
After our hour or so walk we returned to find a box inside which was a dish of water and……….the TORTOISE! So now, the problem was where to house the little creature safely and many minds turned to this conundrum. After several false starts and a few disagreements he (or she) was placed in one of the small chicken houses in the chicken run with some cabbage leaves and a dish of water. I posted a message on the village internet group to see who might have lost their pet. This morning I await a call and several of us of have checked on Mr Tortoise and he is alive and moving and, we hope, comfortable.







But more of this tomorrow…..




The U3A walking group parked in the grounds of Sporting Targets in Riseley.

Just before I turned into the shooting range I spotted a mother pheasant and two chicks on the grass verge. They seemed unconcerned by my presence.

We set off along footpaths and across fields which were partly harvested. Along one of the roads we encountered a pack of hounds being exercised by their keeper.


Even though the weather was damp and my canvas shoes and my socks got soaked, it was a delightful and uplifting walk.