What's with SUV drivers?

Based on two recent incidents, I have decided that many people who drive SUVs are idiots. (ok - this is going to be a rant, so prepare yourself.)

About a week ago an SUV cut us off as my husband and I were driving on the service road bordering our apartment complex. The operator of that oversized vehicle whizzed by a parking space, seeing it only at the last moment. As we pulled into the space, his backup lights came on. He pulled alongside our car, got out, and approached the driver's window wanting to know what we thought we were doing. He challenged us to get out of the car and discuss why we had stolen his parking space! He left his SUV in the middle of the one-lane service road, blocking traffic and instructing all motorists who approached to back up and go around. He kept us prisoners in our car until I called Security at our apartment complex. This whole incident took more than half an hour, during which time we had no idea if this SUV driver was armed & violent or just highly egotistical and stubborn. In legal parlance I'm told this is "menancing behavior." He's lucky I didn't call 911 as the security guard suggested.

And then TONIGHT I was nearly killed by another SUV driver. This self-absorbed fool was making a left turn out of our apartment complex as I was crossing the street on a green light, walking in a pedestrian crosswalk. He headed straight towards me. I thought he would brake, drive to one side, or slow down, but he didn't. When his vehicle was about 3 feet from me, I yelled at him. I forget what I said -- something like, "hey~ look out!" To which he replied in a disgusted fashion (after recovering from his initial surprise), "oh, just keep walking." Well, I didn't. I made him drive around me as I gave him a piece of my mind -- most likely to no avail.

So... what's with SUV drivers anyway?

An article entitled Bumper Mentality from the Washington Monthly explains it very well. Here are some of my favorite quotes:

" ...the bigger the SUV, the more of a jerk its driver is likely to be."

"According to market research... SUV buyers tend to be 'insecure and vain. They are frequently nervous about their marriages and uncomfortable about parenthood. They often lack confidence in their driving skills. Above all, they are apt to be self-centered and self-absorbed, with little interest in their neighbors and communities. They are more restless, more sybaritic, and less social than most Americans are. They tend to like fine restaurants a lot more than off-road driving, seldom go to church and have limited interest in doing volunteer work to help others.' "

"Armed with such research, automakers have, over the past decade, ramped up their SUV designs to appeal even more to the 'reptilian' instincts of the many Americans who are attracted to SUVs not because of their perceived safety, but for their obvious aggressiveness."

"SUV drivers tend to overestimate their own security, which prompts many to drive like maniacs..."

"The "kill rate," ... for SUVs is simply jaw-dropping... Government researchers have found that a behemoth like the four-ton Chevy Tahoe kills 122 people for every 1 million models on the road; by comparison, the Honda Accord only kills 21."


Got the picture? My advise is to give SUV drivers a wide berth. Your life may depend upon it!

© 2009, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

Thoughts on Food, Inc.

In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that's been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, insecticide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won't go bad, but we also have new strains of e coli--the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.

Featuring interviews with such experts as Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma) along with forward thinking social entrepreneurs like Stonyfield Farms' Gary Hirschberg and Polyface Farms' Joe Salatin, Food, Inc. reveals surprising -- and often shocking truths -- about what we eat, how it's produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here. Food, Inc. opened in the US and Canada on June 12, 2009. US filmgoers can click here to find a nearby theater and purchase tickets.

(Photo & text above are used with permission, courtesy of Food, Inc.)

Last weekend I saw Food, Inc. With this post I'm adding my own recommendation to the rave reviews it's receiving in the press. The film moves in a structured way through a variety of foods and the policies that control our food production. Like any good documentary, it relies on the facts to make its points and keeps hyperbole to a minimum.

Even though I already knew quite a bit about how animals in the food system are mistreated, I wasn't aware of the policies to which farmers must adhere in order to maintain their agribusiness contracts. Nor was I aware of just how few mega-businesses really control our food supply. Or that Tom's of Maine is owned by Colgate-Palmolive and Wal-Mart is the biggest distributor of Stonyfield Organic Yogurt. This movie contains lots of provocative facts to ponder, that's for sure!

Food, Inc. closes with the reminder that we "vote" on how our food is produced with every dollar we spend. It stresses the fact that our individual choices are what will make a difference. The movie does not, however, talk about organizing and collective action. That is perhaps its only failing. One of the biggest points made by Food, Inc. is that control over food is very political. What it doesn't say is that to combat a powerful political force, we need to use collective methods like lobbying, leafleting, boycotting, even marching in the streets. These sorts of tactics demonstrate that we as consumers and taxpayers are united in our efforts.

The Food, Inc. website melds into a more activist site called Takepart.com that offers all sorts of useful lifestyle change suggestions, educational aids, and links to related sites like Center for Food Safety. Please take time to browse and acquaint yourself with all these sites. They help us find ways to be more politically active in matters related to our food supply.

I would also encourage readers to get involved with Farm Sanctuary. (As recounted in my 9/16/07 post, my own Visit to Farm Sanctuary turned me into a more committed vegetarian.) In addition to sheltering farm animals, Farm Sanctuary does a fair amount of political organizing to teach people how to make a collective impact for change. A similar organization not mentioned on Takepart.com is Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT). These and other organizations that stress political action as well as individual choice will help us make a difference.

Before action, though, comes education on the issues. Food, Inc. does an EXCELLENT job relaying the facts and demonstrating the need for change on every level of the food industry. If you're in the US or Canada, go see it. If you're outside North America, watch for it. And feel free to share your thoughts in a comment here.

© 2009, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

Vegetarian Thursday

Did you know that the city council in the Belgian town of Ghent has declared every Thursday to be a vegetarian day? All the townspeople are encouraged to forego meat, fish, and shellfish, maybe dairy and eggs as well (the article wasn't clear). The people of Ghent want to be a "pioneers in the fight against obesity, global warming, cruelty to animals." Click here to read the entire story published in the Guardian on May 14, 2009.

While my decision to be a vegetarian is based on cruelty issues, others have been motivated by the environmental impact of changing our reliance on meat and animal products. The Guardian article refers to United Nations data which concludes that "meat production and consumption are to blame for 18% of greenhouse gases – more than cars." The 2006 UN report characterizes the devastation caused by the meat industry as "one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global." For more on this subject, check out Wikipedia's article on Environmental Vegetarianism. All of the information there is footnoted; the citations include many respected sources.

I've been a vegetarian for only two years, and in order to stick with it I have not been able to be eliminate all animal products. I don't eat beef, pork, and poultry. I still eat fish as well as dairy products. However, I have started buying organic milk because those cows live on pasture, eat a natural diet, and generally lead more stress-free lives than their counterparts on massive dairy farms. I buy eggs that sport the Certified Humane logo at the top of this post. I have switched to cruelty free cosmetics which sport the leaping bunny logo below, and I'm trying to use more cruelty free household products. (Click here to learn how to buy all kinds of cruelty free items.)

Maybe I will join the people of Ghent and exclude all animal products from my diet for just one day a week. On that day I could try to expand upon my vegetarian cooking skills. Hmmm... Something to think about. Care to join me?


__________________
* H. Steinfeld et al., Livestock's Long Shadow: Environmental Issues and Options, Livestock, Environment and Development (2006).

© 2009, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

Technology Catchup

I noticed recently that my last Technology post was seven months ago. That post, entitled Took the Plunge, represented the final episode in the get-my-husband-a-new-computer saga that began in December 2007 and ended in July 2008 with the purchase of a MacBook (laptop). Well, one thing led to another, and now we have an iMac (desktop) as well - for me! We have also changed internet service providers and all the associated equipment. Nothing short of a technological revolution underway, so here's a chronology of all the changes.

September 2008 - Purchased my new iMac (20 inch screen, 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2 GB RAM, and 250 GB hard drive). Driven by the desire to change internet service providers, I thought I needed to replace the 10-year-old desktop that hosted the DSL modem and wireless access point associated with my Verizon service. As it turned out, I'm not so sure I really needed a desktop computer for that purpose, but that's what I got and it's gorgeous.


October 2008 - Dumped Verizon DSL in favor of Time Warner's Roadrunner high-speed cable internet service. Created a secure wireless network using the Time Capsule (Wi-Fi base station and 500 gigabyte hard drive) purchased in July with the MacBook. Here's a close-up of the Time Capsule, adorned with a turtle from my collection.


December 2008 - Began doing MacBook backups using Time Machine, the new Leopard (Operating System 10.5) backup function that automatically backs up all new or modified files and has no perceptible impact on performance. I love it!

January 2009 - Started One to One classes, learning about all things Mac. For $99 you can go once a week for a whole year to an Apple Store for individual instruction on some aspect of Mac computing. It's way more fun than reading manuals and help files all by myself at home! Inspired and informed by the One-to-One classes, I've moved my digital life to the Mac. I am now using the Mac Mail program for email. I have loaded all my music into iTunes. I have my iCal (calendar) up to date and sync both music and calendar with my iPod. I use MobileMe for mobile calendar access as well as copying files back and forth to my work computer. I have started working on organizing my pictures in iPhoto. I have learned a little about Garage Band and have plans for cleaning up and organizing the mountain of music files one accumulates learning traditional Irish music. Yesterday I explored iWeb, the Mac's graphical interface for website publishing.

February 2009 - Trouble in paradise: the MacBook refused to go onto the internet and backups stopped working. Apparently the network card died, so Apple replaced it and restored the operating system software. It ran like a top when we got it back 8 days later. No charge, of course, since it's still under warranty. However, the hard drive had been renamed during the software reload and so the nifty automatic backups were all "confused" and didn't work.

April 2009 - More trouble: my son's 4-year-old PowerBook would not boot up. A technician in the Apple Store ran a utility which repaired some permissions and like magic, it came back to life. This scare was my wake-up call on the subject of backups. After a One-to-One session on Time Capsule and backups, I was able to resolve the issues with automatic backups on the MacBook. While I was at it, started backing up the iMac as well.

May 2009 - Connected the Powerbook to the Time Capsule and attempted a drop-and-drag backup. I managed to move all the documents and about half of the music files before the copy function started getting hung up. After a bit of troubleshooting, I concluded that the problems stemmed from the fact that the Time Capsule is built to work with Mac OS 10.5 (Leopard) and the PowerBook runs on OS 10.4 (Tiger). A few days later I bought a Western Digital 1 TB MyBook, an external hard drive, for backing up the PowerBook. This drive is compatible with both Mac OS 10.4 and 10.5 so it will work now and later when my son gets the new computer he's been lobbying for. I hope to do the Powerbook backup this weekend.

Reflecting on my computer escapades recorded here, the words of Gilda Radner's Roseanne Roseannadanna character spring to mind: "it's always something..." Listen for that phrase in the clip below, which has absolutely nothing to do with computers!




© 2009, Linda Mason Hood 
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

Ireland Bound

Cover by June McCormack, used with permission

This summer I plan to attend the 37th Annual Willie Clancy Summer Music Festival in Ireland. "Willie Week," as it's affectionately known in traditional Irish music circles, is the prototype for all the traditional Irish music festivals. Held in the hometown of Willie Clancy, a piper who played a prominent role in the Irish folk revival in the 1960's, the festival in Miltown Malbay, County Clare, Ireland, draws about 1300 attendees who take lessons, hear lectures, play in sessions, and attend dances for one glorious week. I am very excited, to say the least.

With accommodations secured and ticket purchased, I've turned my attention to polishing up my playing. Over the past year most of my flute efforts have focused on two areas: transitioning to the Irish flute (changing fingering and embouchure) and learning tunes, especially those tunes I play as part of the Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra. Sadly, I have paid very little attention to ornamentation, which is what originally drew me to Irish music in the first place.

You'll recall that while I'm waiting for my custom Peter Noy flute I bought a Casey Burns Folk Flute, the ergonomic small-handed version. (17-Aug-2008: Finding an Interim Flute) I was really excited about it when it arrived, but it has proved to be a disappointment. While the mopane wood makes a lovely sound, the whole flute is flat and proved unworkable in ensemble playing. Sometime in the late fall of 2008, I switched to a borrowed Casey Burns Boxwood flute, a better instrument all around as it is pitched properly and is in tune with itself. Its other advantage is that the spacing between the finger holes is more standard.

So, in the last 10 months I have changed from silver flute fingerings to keyless wooden flute fingerings. I have also adjusted my embouchure and reworked my coordination twice - the first time to cover the holds of the Burns small-handed flute, and then increasing the stretch to cover the spacing of the holes on the Boxwood standard holed flute.

You probably have no idea how much slow playing is needed to establish good muscle memory for playing tunes quickly. Lots, and then lots more. To keep from losing my mind, I started attending more sessions. I have used the sessions as 3-hour practice periods. Even though the music I played at faster speeds had a lot in common with Swiss cheese (lots of holes in the melody), I could focus on the group sound while mentally aiming my fingers at the holes and hoping for the best. In the process, I learned more tunes, and made a few new friends too. I'm now feeling pretty comfortable about being able to play the Burns Boxwood standard holed flute, albeit without much ornamentation.

To add some grace and style to my playing, I've started working through a book entitled Fliuit, Irish Flute Tutorial by Irish flutist June McCormack. June does an excellent review of ornamentation, with explanations notated and illustrated on the CD that comes with the book. Fliuit contains 64 tunes, most of which are unfamiliar to me. I purchased the book last summer at the Catskills Irish Arts Week, but I hadn't used it until now. (If you'd like to order a copy, click here.) It seems to be just what I need.

To illustrate what I find so inspiring, here's June McCormack and harpist/husband Michael Rooney playing a lovely set of hornpipes.



This new focus has renewed my enthusiasm for practicing. While I won't play like June in that video, playing BETTER by the time Willie Week rolls around has given me an exciting goal. In my practicing, my reading, and trip planning, I am truly Ireland bound!

© 2009, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

WSHSO Gigs Galore!

Photo by Nuala Purcell, used with permission

I've not mentioned anything about the Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra (WSHSO) since our big Symphony Space concert last October. Lest you think nothing's happening, just let me tell you about the whirlwind of performances we've given lately.

Pre-St. Patrick's Day events:

• On February 1 we appeared with Dan Milner, one of our singers, at the South Street Seaport Museum's monthly folk concert. This particular concert celebrated the release of Dan’s Irish Pirate Ballads CD on Smithsonian Folkways label. Several songs on that CD are part of the WSHSO repertoire.
• On February 6 we appeared with Dan once again, this time as part of the Blarney Star concert series at Glucksman Ireland House.
  
• On February 23 we played at a book launch party for Tom Coyne's book, A Course Called Ireland.
• On March 3 we appeared with Mick Moloney at the Lolita Bar in a memorial for writer/historian/musician Daniel Cassidy, author of How the Irish Invented Slang.
• On March 5 we appeared at Glucksman Ireland House, again with Mick Moloney, to celebrate the launch of a book Mick co-edited on traditional Irish dance in America - Close to the Floor: Irish Dance from the Boreen to Broadway.

The "season" of St. Patrick:

• On March 12 we joined Mick Moloney and Friends at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan for the annual Irish Heritage Concert.
• On March 14 we played at the reception following the annual Irish language mass at St. Patrick's Old Cathedral on Mulberry Street in lower Manhattan. A blogger in attendance noted our appearance and included a picture - click here to check it out.
  
• On March 15 we played at the St. Patrick's Day party for residents of the Mary Manning Walsh Home.
  
• On the same day, March 15, we played at the Irish American Historical Society's gala St. Patrick's day event. The picture at the top of this post was taken at that event. Here's another one which will give you a glimpse of the party's ambience.

Photo by Nuala Purcell, used with permission

This star-studded occasion received New York Times coverage in which our banjo player Dan Neely was quoted. The party was mentioned in NY Insider TV, which also carried pictures of us!
• On St. Patrick's Day - March 17 - we provided music for the Irish Consul General's St. Patrick's Day party. It was a beautiful sunny day so we were able to play outdoors on his penthouse balcony. And don't I just look like the cat that ate the canary, with the Empire State Building in the background there?
  

Photo by Daniel Neely, used with permission

Post-season engagements:

• On March 23 we played at the Irish Consulate at the book launch of Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh’s new book of poetry entitled Péacadh. Ailbhe was the Irish Language Fulbright scholar this past year at Lehman College.
  

Photo by Thomas Ihde, courtesy of Scott Spencer

• On March 26 we traveled to the Bookcourt in Brooklyn to play at the book launch for Robert Sullivan’s new book, The Thoreau You Don’t Know. As a result of our performance there, we were mentioned several times in blog posts. (1) Photographer Eric Etheridge submitted these two short posts from his iPhone while the event was in progress! Every Reading Should Have a Band and Robert Sullivan Reads from his new book on Thoreau (2) On March 28, Robert Sullivan cited Eric's posts on his own blog post entitled Captured, then (3) on April 2 Robert posted a video of the entire event (about 1 hour) which includes one set of tunes at the beginning and all of the music we played after his 30 minute talk.
• On April 5 the WSHSO was the featured guest of the New York Packet, South Street Seaport’s resident folk singing group at the monthly folk concert held in the South Street Seaport Museum. We presented about 45 minutes of music.
  
• On May 5 we will play at the Airneal na Bealtaine, an evening of traditional music by NYU students and WSHSO in celebration of Spring.
• On May 16 WSHSO will perform in Battery Park City - watch our Myspace site for details.

In addition to these official bookings, we often support each other at sessions around town when various people in the group serve as session leaders in local pubs.

Needless to say, after all these appearances, our playing is very tight right now, and we are thoroughly enjoy playing together. We are all grateful to Mick Moloney for his sponsorship and guidance. Global person that he is, he can't make all our gigs, but when he's there, he adds his own distinctive spark to our sound.

This post brings you up to date on my 2009 St. Patrick's Day Irish music adventures. In keeping with all these great memories, let me wish you a belated Happy St. Patrick's Day. Looking at the clock, maybe I'd better quickly say Happy Easter too, before that holiday passes by as well!

© 2009, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

Little Carlin

Photo from the Wikimedia Commons,
licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 License.

Several weeks ago, around 3:15 pm on a Saturday afternoon, I saw a badly injured squirrel lying on its back, alive but twitching as if in the throes of death. One of his front paws was really, really swollen and obviously part of his ailment. I said a silent prayer that death would come quickly and returned home.

Later that afternoon I left the apartment again on another errand and darned if that squirrel wasn't still outside in the same spot, alive and twitching. He seemed no closer to death's door than he had been an hour earlier. It would be dark soon. The temperature was dropping. High winds and snow were predicted. How much lingering agony was I willing to let him endure? Apparently I was going to have to do something. But what?

I returned to my apartment and googled "wildlife rehab NY" on my computer. A long list of names, addresses, and phone numbers appeared on the screen. I left telephone messages with the rehab people who lived the closest to me.

While I was waiting for my calls to be returned, I clicked on the Google link for The Squirrel Board. The first message thread in The Squirrel Board Forum was entitled Emergency (Life Threatening) Help Needed. Perfect! I posted my predicament, or rather, the squirrel's predicament. I wondered how long it would take for someone to notice my new post. Within only 2 minutes, someone responded. "Can you scoop the squirrel into a box or a container of some sort?" If I could catch the squirrel, this person seemed willing to help. Using an old cat carrier, I was able to slide the squirrel inside. He squirmed during the maneuver but had no real control over his body, so it was pretty easy, actually. By 5:30 pm I was the nervous guardian of a dying squirrel in a cat carrier. I put the cat carrier in our warm bathroom, covered it with a towel to calm my patient, turned off the light, and closed the door. No worries about him escaping though. He couldn't really move at all, except for that occasional twitch.

After more message posting and several phone calls, a rehabber from about 30 miles outside NYC arrived around 9 pm to take the squirrel to a veterinary hospital. He died before the vet could do anything for him, but not before the rehabber gave him a name -- Little Carlin, a Celtic name meaning Little Champion. Somehow the fact that the rehabber gave him a Celtic name, without any inkling of my connections to Irish music, was confirmation that I was meant to try to help him.

The vet's autopsy revealed that Little Carlin had a missing front left foot and a severe de-gloving (skin ripped off) injury to the leg exposing the bone. The entire leg was infected and necrosis (death of the cells) had begun. The leg injuries looked at least 5 days old based on the bone. There were lacerations to the face near the eye, with some eye damage. The internal organs looked normal. There was no sign of poisoning. The twitching and inability to control his body had apparently been due to his very advanced infection. The cause of death was trauma.

I wondered if Little Carlin had an encounter with a red-tailed hawk (yes, we have those in NYC) or an off-leash dog. Or perhaps he got his leg caught in the spokes of a bicycle ridden by one of the many carry-out food delivery guys who speed through our apartment complex. Maybe he was hit by a car. I'll never know. Despite his severe injuries, though, the veterinarian felt that if Little Carlin had been treated right away, he could have been saved. Bummer.

This squirrel episode haunted me for many days. I've rescued animals before -- cats mostly, but also a few dogs, a pigeon, a baby squirrel, and a ferret. My rescues have nearly always had happy endings. I can remember only one other time when the animal died. Why did God put this poor miserable creature in my path when all I could do was give him a warm place to suffer and die?

I decided the reason had more to do with teaching me than with saving him. Little Carlin's "rescue" put me in touch with several wildlife rehabbers in New York City. I found The Squirrel Board, a wonderful resource with all sorts of information. After reading what was posted there, I went on to read other informative internet sites about squirrels and wildlife rehabilitation. Hopefully the things I've learned and the people I've met will help me to be more effective in some future situation.

I recommend everyone check out The Squirrel Board, even if you have no intention of scooping up injured squirrels. Read up on all the things squirrels eat and enjoy the wonderful pictures. The Squirrel Board Forum has over 3600 registered members, and probably many more readers. (Anyone can read the message threads, but only registered members can post.) So check it out - bookmark it. Whether you live in the city or in the country, you never know when you might find yourself in need of assistance with a squirrel. You think it won't happen to you, but you just never know...


Other Squirrel Resources:

Articles offering general information about squirrels
Tree Squirrels (by the Humane Society of the United States)
Squirrel (Wikipedia article with lots of sources)
The Scholarly Squirrel (a website that describes itself as "a definitive online resource for the squirrel enthusiast")

Squirrel Rescue & Rehabilitation
The Squirrel Board
Squirrel-rehab.org
Squirrel Rehab (a set of photos on Flickr)

Squirrel Books
Squirrels at My Window: Life With a Remarkable Gang of Urban Squirrels, by Grace Marmor Spruch (I read this enchanting book years ago and loved it.)
Squirrels: The Animal Answer Guide, by Richard W. Thorington Jr. and Katie E. Ferrell

Squirrel Blogs (yes, of course, blogs!! How could I resist!)
The Squirrel Cam
Squirrel Chatter
Squirrels, Squirrels, Squirrels
Grey and Red, a Squirrel Journal



© 2009, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

Turtle Troubles

It's been a while since this blog has seen news of my turtles, so I think it's time for an update. As you recall, I have two male Red Eared Sliders. In my post entitled What's in a Name? I recounted our difficulties in naming them. Based on their recent behavior we have reverted to the names my son originally gave to them: Dinky and Doofus. As you might expect, Dinky has always been the smaller of the two, his carapace (shell) now measuring 5" from head and tail. Doofus is now 6" long. Here's a pair of pictures to illustrate how much they've grown.

May 2006: Notice that both turtles fit between the supports
of the floating turtle dock.

September 2008: Now they fill the entire dock!

At five years of age, Doofus and Dinky are solidly into their adolescence and hormones abound. The courting ritual for aquatic turtles begins when the male turtle positions himself face to face with the female and extends both paws so that they touch the sides of the female's face. As the male flutters his paws, his long toenails stroke the sides of the female's face. This fluttering is a definite turn-on and leads to mating. Unfortunately for Doofus, the suitor, no amount of courting will entice Dinky, the wooed, into a role for which he is simply not equiped!

This behavior began some months ago. Doofus would flirt for a while, then get distracted and swim away. But just after Christmas we noticed that the courting had intensified. Doofus seemed unable to do anything else. He chased Dinky around the tank, fluttering those paws like a hopeless, lovelorn idiot! Dinky would occasionally snap back, but when even that response failed to drive Doofus away, Dinky withdrew into his shell and sank like a rock to the bottom of the tank. We tried separating them for brief periods, relegating Doofus to a 20 gallon tank. This strategy did nothing to discourage him. The amorous Doofus resumed his relentless courting whenever he found himself back in the 55 gallon tank with Dinky.

Realizing that courting behavior between two males is an attempt by the aggressor to establish dominance, we came to grips with the fact that Dinky's quality of life was doomed if he continued to live with Doofus. The turtles would have to be separated permanently. Separation meant finding one of them a new home or getting a second tank. Being more fond of the turtles than much of the furniture and miscellaneous nonsense that crowds my apartment, I threw out an old desk and some other useless items to make room for another tank.

I devoted my 3-day President's Day weekend (February 14-16) to Doofus's new home. On Saturday morning, with the help of my husband and son and a U-Haul panel truck, we moved all the stuff I had purchased from a Craigslist seller in Brooklyn to our Manhattan apartment. Saturday evening I cleaned and re-sealed the tank. Sunday I cleaned the 2 Eheim filters which were included. Monday I had new hoses installed on the Eheim filters, and by Monday night we filled the tank and put Doofus in his new environment. Voila!


The new tank is still a work in progress. At the moment, as you can see, it has only the necessities of life -- water, filtration, UVB lighting, and a floating turtle dock for basking. It looks pretty bare right now. I'll post more pictures when it's all decorated and finished.

Finally, the turtles are at peace. They show no signs of missing each other. In his 90 gallon tank, Doofus has room to dive deep and stretch his legs. He basks happily under his lamp and begs for food whenever I pass by. Dinky's 55 gallon tank seems more spacious now that he's the only one in it, and he often plays happily in the current of the output hose. He can bask on his dock or sleep on his brick without being knocked off every time he gets comfortable. What pampered turtles they are! Of the two, however, I can't help but think Dinky is the luckier one. Not only did I save him from the fate of most red eared sliders, from shell rot, and from drowning (see Lucky Larry), I set up another tank to free him from harrassment. What next?

© 2009, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement