Easy come, easy go

For 12 hours we were the proud owners of "George" the Turtle.

Daycare pawned him off on me this morning. One minute you're waving goodbye to your kid, and the next you're leaving with a truculent turtle in a cardboard box.

At home I googled "what do turtles eat?" and discovered that it depends on the species. Some turtles are carnivores, others are vegans. The site added that "turtles should not eat processed food!" But hey, beggars can't be choosers. In George's box I deposited a few carrots, some deli meat and leftover chicken. As an afterthought I pelted him with a piece of bread, just in case he was in the mood for starch. No dice. He protested captivity and hostile living conditions by going on a hunger strike.

That's when I made the executive decision: before the Boy got attached -- or the cats cannibalized him -- George should be relocated to his natural habitat. Which was tonight's after-dinner entertainment.

George's release in a nature preserve, aka, the nearby river.

Cue the Mary Tyler Moore theme: "You're gonna make it after all...."