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Oh, I'm glad to hear you covered the eggs. I think it can take 3 months or more for turtle eggs to hatch... you might want to see if you can cover the area with some chicken wire with something to keep it from getting ripped off. I looked up this place.... http://nyturtlecenter.org/ I'm sure they can give you more information if the parks service isn't any help. If nothing else I'm sure they can tell you what kind of Turtle she is! it does look as though someone had her shell wired or stapled. Poor girl.. I think would be a tough life outside as a turtle!
Hugs!
Melanie
Wow, that is amazing. I have never seen a wild turtle. I have 3 as pets and they live a very long time. I've had my 2 older ones for about 20 years and they were not babies when I got them!
It is amazing to see one on it's own in the wild... She is so rough looking the poor gal.
The babies are sooo fragile when they hatchn, I am amazed any of them make it into adults.
She is a beautiful gal! Thanks so much for sharing!
Hugs!
Melanie
Oh no, that is terrible. I hope it didn't ruin too much. Sending you a big hug!
Hugs,
Melanie
Congrats on the new baby. I use to breed them, many moons ago..lol. There are short fin males.. you can tell from the size.. the short fin males are usually the same size as the long fin males.. but they don't have the long fins. The females are not as bright and much smaller. The females don't build nests.. but they do go and breathe from the top and sometimes that makes bubbles... I don't know if this will work with your guy/girl.. but males tend to be a bit more aggessive.. you can show him a mirror and see if he tries to attack it. Also females get a little white spot on the vent when they are of breeding age.
I have one male at work on my desk.. Finnigan 
Hope that helps!
Hugs!
Melanie
Hey all! I will have to read more into the long posts when I have some more time.. I have skimmed them though. Okay, first off, I love doing shows. I have to admit though when we had more shows here I had stopped doing them because I could not handle the stress and would make myself sick before a show. Working full time and trying to get enough bears for a show was a bit much for me.
I am planning on doing 2 shows this years.. neither are bear shows.. but a miniature show (where I can at least get some artist bear word out) and the Doll and Teddy bear show. Both are local shows. I have considered doing shows in the East BUT the airfare is just terrible.. it would cost well over $2000 for myself and a helper.. that does not count the hotel, food and the table itself. I think that has alot to do with decisions for a show. I will go to a show if I can drive there in 4 hours... or if I can fly there for a few hundred dollars... if it's going to cost 3 or 4 grand, I just can't do it.
I have also talked with a few other artist about putting on a local show.. but the same problems that Heather has apply to Edmonton shows. The few little shows we have here have a horrible time booking venues.
The internet does make selling easier and more manageable but it's not the same as shows.. shows are so much fun and you can hold and hug lots of bears... and talk.. omg.. lol. At Heathers show last year.. by the end of the day I had lost my voice! haha.
Bears, unfortunately are a luxury item.. and I have noticed many collectors just can't afford to buy bears.. The last show I did I had one collector come and cuddle this one bear over and over again.. and sadly say she wanted it but just could not afford it.. I felt so bad. I am in this boat myself. I use to spend thousands on bears. I have not bought a bear in almost a year now. With the prices of food and gas and housing here in Alberta (and other places), there is not alot left!
Anyway, I think as the bear world changes over the years, the way we sell changes too. If artists can't make the shows profitable.. they will stop doing them. If they stop doing the shows the promoters stop putting on the show. It is sad.. but it's happening.. and we will just have to do our part to get word out about bears.. try to get new collectors, put ad's in magazines if you can, do shows if you can.. even if they are not bears shows... there are so many people who don't know there is a magical world of artist bears.
I think that is all we can do as artists and Teddy bears lovers.
huuuugs!
Melanie
Hugs!
Melanie
I have sewing movies too.. ones I've seen probably 20 times.. that way I'm not so compelled to watch them.. then just listen to them. Never fails if I put a newer movie on I will sit and stare at it and not sew at all! lol.
Hugs,
Melanie
I don't know if I make a face or anything like that but I do have long hair and I keep it wound up on my head to keep stray strands from getting mixed up in the bear. The thing is, I don't really have a way to keep it wound up on my head....so what I find myself doing (without thinking about it) is using one of my crochet hooks (handle end) like an oriental hair stick to keep the hair wound up and out of the way. Then later I'll be searching and searching for the crochet hook and wondering where the H*LL I put it! LOL
/bearhugs,
hahahaha, I do the exact same thing with my pens or pencils.. I don't even know I've done it till I can't find my pen.. heehee.
Hugs!
Melanie
heehee, Oh date jitters.. blah! I use to get so nervous before a date I would almost make myself sick! :hug: :hug:
One tip, if you don't know what to say.. ask him questions. That always worked well for me. Lots of topics, work, pets, relatives, hobbies... and people are always 
when you tell them you make Teddy bears! that is a great thing to talk about! heehee. Hope you have fun!
Hugs!
Melanie
It's the same here, we got a huge dump last week.. this week it's rain and snow mixed.. but at least it's not staying on the ground!
Hugs!
Melanie
Deb, that is so funny! If I saw "cow Pie" on the menu I would have to order it. What you had sounds good.
We have a favorite restaurant here called Texas Road House. One of the items on the menu is called, "Road Kill". It's a mix of steak chunks, onions, mushrooms, melted Jack cheese, and sauce.
Anyone hungry?
omg.. heeheehee, it's way too early for eating road kill. :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: Man that is waaayyy to funny.
Hugs!
Melanie
Heehee! Oh, how I miss country life! hehehe, always something interesting! lol. Once when my parents and I were down in the lower garden planting potatos a skunk came running down from the house... right by us and out into the ditch.. my dad wanted to shoot it but my mom and me said noooo!!! lol, the poor thing.. it lived/lives under the shed.. he never bothered us and we don't bother him.. heehee. Not sure why but I've always thought skunks were so cute.. hehe.
You can keep the poison snakes though! lol. We don't have those here, thank goodness!
Hugs!!
Melanie
I've never had a problem and I do take cheques. I don't like to take them.. but if you want to sell the bear and it's at a show.. most of the people are part of the club that runs the show anyway. As for mail order I have always taken cheques and I just wait till they clear... I've never had a problem (knock on wood.. lol)
Hugs!
Melanie
Awwwwe, thanks for sharing! Your poochies are soo cute! Nice to see green grass and leaves too! We just got another big dump of snow.. lol.
Hugs!
Melanie
ouch, that is a hard one to photo. I've had issues photo-in dark bears too. You need extra light and they usually end up a little over-exposed. Regardless, he is super cute and funny! I love the tongue! 
heehee. Very nice.
Hugs!
Melanie
Wow that is amazing.
Hugs,
Melanie
Awe, poor little black Squirrels.. yes, send me a dozen.. heehee 
That is really funny, I think the black ones are pretty.. but then maybe because I've never seen them before.. and they remind me of a black cat.. lol. Mind you if there are as many as I saw when I was Toronto... I can imagine they would get annoying. we have a few red ones around here that like to dig tunnels like they are a gopher... lol.
Hugs!
Melanie
Hi Tami,
If you think those little fellas are cute, I've got a couple of dozen I'd love to send you UPS! We have tons of black, red and grey squirrels. Someone in our neighbourhood feeds them peanuts in the shell and our yard is a disaster, with shells EVERYWHERE! They are cute but very destructive.hugs,
Brenda
Send me one Brenda!! I want a Black squirrel!!.. lol. I will never forget when I was in Toronto last year.. I thought the park was coverd with black pieces of landscaping cloth.. and then they started moving! I was so shocked that the "cloth" was squirrels! lol. :crackup: :crackup:
Hugs,
Melanie
I've had hundreds over the years. I just delete them. I can't be bothered to even report them anymore.
Hugs,
Melanie
As for me, I have no kids (cept furry ones.. lol) but I don't mind kids at shows as long as they are not running wild or not being watched. I don't mind if older kids handle the bears, they can be collectors or future collectors too.. I remember my first show when I was around 14 years old and I doubt anyone expected someone my age to have hundreds of saved dollars to buy bears.. heehee.
Hugs!
Melanie
Wow very pretty,
I think you guys have too much time on your hands 
I am with Paula on this one. I wrap mine in tissue paper and bubble wrap, a water proof bag, packing peanuts... if I remember my cards I try to write a little thank you note.. then it's a race to the post office to mail it on my lunch break.. lol.
I'm afraid customs would make quite a mess of a pretty package if it got tagged to be opened.. lol. At least 90% of my bears get shipped out of country. I'm always worried someone will crush the box with something heavy. One of my bear friends years ago had a bear "dunked" and ruined by Aussie customs. I had another bear friend whos package got wet and she used colored tissue and it leached onto the bear. 
The horror stories.. another bear friend had her bear Slit open from a customs persons knife! She didn't have enough tissue or bubble wrap on the little guy Bah! no wonder I'm paranoid! lol.
Ah who knows, maybe someday I'll have loads of time to play.. lol. I do love a pretty package I love that stringy eastery grass stuff... and I love ribbons. 
doh.
Hugs!
Melanie
Ouch Roxanne, tha sucks big time. :hug: :hug: :hug: I hope things get better and no more bad things happen. That is quite the hail! We had a tornado here back in the 80's and all the vehicles that were outside had hail damage.. the hail was like golf balls and it was scary! I was just a little kid but I still remember the hail!
Hope things get better from now on!
Hugs,
Melanie
oooh Laurel, can I come live with you? heehee, that looks so pretty! I am so sick and tired of winter.. but they are predicting +20c this saturday so that just might take care of what is left of the snow!
Hugs!
Melanie
Wow, that is just annoying.. I have a merchant account for visa and mc that I use.. and many of my customers pay with personal cheques or money orders. I don't list much on ebay as it is but I think I will spend more time using my website and shows. Why should ebay tell us how a customer can pay for things?
Hugs,
Melanie
