Myrtle RIP

Myrtle my one of a kind turtle passed away this am. We had Myrtle for 11 years. Myrtle was a boy despite his name. His old owner thought he was a she. When I got him and I called and said Myrtle is a boy.

I kept his name the way it was and he was spoiled rotten. When my husband made chicken or pork chops Myrtle did a dance for it. When I would cut up strawberries he would dance then too. He loved salmon, and crab meat too. Yes I did say spoiled.

He loved listening to music and always had to be by the window. Believe it or not he loved watching the snow. He would do a dance back and forth when it snowed.

He loved being outside in his own kiddie pool and walking around (more like running) turtles are fast.

He hated when I would clean his tank. He would pull the filter off and throw it around the tank. He would do the same with the heater. In protest for having a crystal clear tank. He was funny and he brought so joy to me.

The night before he was fine swimming all over chasing fish. This morning I woke up and he was at the bottom of the tank. Just sitting their motionless. I took him out and he wasn't moving at all. I put him in the kitchen sink and talked to him and I finally had to realize my dear friend had passed. My husband was trying to console me by hoping he wasn't dead but I told him he was.

I think at that point I went numb. I was motionless. I couldn't think or breath. The tears were stuck and I needed them to flow. I went upstairs in a daze to get him a shoebox so he can be comfortable before we bury him. I made him a bed in it with tissue paper and I kept telling him to please wake up.

I kept checking the box expecting this to be some type of dream but it wasn't. Growing up when people died they always came to see me. So I kept thinking about that and I kept checking. I kept thinking he moved but it was my damn vertigo. Everything moves when you have vertigo.

I thank all my family and friends for their kind words of support. The tears have become unstuck and have been flowing. Going to take me some time to be ok. I get attached to my babies, human, fur or reptile. They get close to my heart and there they stay. Always.

RIP Myrtle have fun in your giant pond on the otherside.