Maren & Emma

Emma is one of three pet turtles we have living in our pond. Yesterday, unbeknownst to me, Maren decided to take the one named Emma with us to a birthday party being held in the park across town. Thankfully Sidney notified me before we left her in our hot car for the duration of the party. We took her to the party and created a temporary habitat for "Emma" in a large planter box which had many old leaves in it. The kids at the park were very intrigued by Emma and at one point I wondered if she would need a bodyguard. After the birthday party was over, I drove the kids directly to gymnastics and I told Maren to leave the turtle in the car so I could take her home with me. I searched the car for that turtle and could not find it. I thought maybe it fell out of the car when the kids had opened the door. I walked around the outside area of gymnastics and didn't see her. I called gymnastics and they asked Maren about the turtle. She told them "It's in the place where you keep food." Yuck. Eeeewww. I didn't realize we had a place like that. I went to the very back of the car and opened the side compartment. There was the turtle, sleeping in it's shell. I'm so grateful we got that little turtle back into the pond where it belongs. I can only begin to imagine the stench my car would have had in a few days.