A tortoise has appeared in my garden!

[Buda]

Our cleaner saw it yesterday but then it disappeared before I came home. Couldn't see it last night but I have just spotted it again.

I don't DO animals!

And I am in Budapest so it's not exactly easy to go an knock on neighbours doors as I don't speak Hungarian. And we are about to get a puppy.

Thing is some workmen were here late last summer and they saw one outside our garden so it could have been here for months I suppose. Would it have survived the winter outside? It was cold and we had lots of snow.

Aw - give it some food.

What though?

maybe it's ours who went missing in 1971. does it come if you call out 'timmy' .

(well it could have swam)

LOL!

Post it to me - i'd love a tortoise! Not sure waht you do with them mind

Mine went missing in 1981! I left him on the grass to go get my wagon to take him for his 'walk', and he was gone when I came back.

They had to get me a puppy.

Am very amused by the mental image of Buda knocking on someone's door, holding a tortoise, speaking in a foreign language to some confused Hungarian person.

Glad you think it's funny Yankn!

I have just tried that! Nobody home though.

They move a lot quicker than I thought! It was behind the gate when I went across to the neighbours and when I came back it was nowhere to be seen!

Babysitter coming tonight so I might ask her to knock on a few doors and ask if they know whose it is.

Only me. These things only happen to me!

Thinking back to the 1980's when people had them as pets I think that folk used to feed them salady type stuff.
Why don't you keep it as a MN mascot?

No thank you cornsilk. I am getting shivers just looking at it! There are lots of dandelions in the garden so I am sure it will survive on them.

He now has a name. Speedy. He can sure move!

I'm babysitting my friends tortoises. Give him salad stuff, dandelion leaves and grass. Hold him with his bum facing away from you. Once pooed on, never forgotten.

He will enjoy a planter saucer of water to 'bathe' in and drink too.

Our tortoises loved buttercups (do you have buttercups in Budapest? Nearest I've ever been to it was Transylvania)
And cucumber - they would really move to get to a slice of cucumber.

Your tortoise probably dug himself a burrow for the winter - they hibernate.

I am NOT trying to encourage it to stay ladies! It is an UNINVITED guest!

Cucumber and buttercups and water indeed.

Actually I will give it water as it is 30 degrees here today. I have been out since this morning and have had a quick look around for it but can't see it. We have a huge garden so it could be anywhere.

Well Speedy is still in residence chez Buda. Cleaner saw him when she arrived although I haven't seen him today.

Am about to draft a note for DH's secretary to translate in Hungarian for me and I will drop it into letter boxes. I'm sure that will brighten up her day. The things she ends up doing for me!

What was the outcome?