An anxious Mary K

Maggie3fan

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Thursday as some of you know I had a fire in my tort shed. Fortunately, I didn't lose anyone, but the damage to the shed is awful and the tortoises had to move and as we know they don't like change. My shed was modified for Sulcata. It stays a constant 85 degrees, with insulation walls floor and ceiling. Now there's a hole in the floor...,
100_8160.JPG
The insulation is burned and wet. The Fire department cut a large hole in the floor and pulled out the insulation. But as we all know, there's a lot of electrical crap we use that is expensive. Fire hoses sorta damage that stuff. I lost several lights, pig blanket and heater. Anyway, my main concern is my tortoises. In the house I moved box turtles around and put Houdini the Jerk in a box turtle table, another tort goes in the big box turtle table (just for sleeping). And Mary Knobbins is in a giant blue plastic bin. But during the day, they are all outside. I had to close the doggie door so Mary couldn't go in the shed. But this whole thing has freaked her out, the fire and smoke in her shed, the change in house and pens, all the freakin gorgeous firemen, looking all of 16 yrs old...lol....the 4 big fire trucks. So when it was time for a nap Mary went to her now closed doggie door and rammed it and banged it until I could hear her in the house. She already had to be moved out of the new pen as she knocked over my potted cactus, the cinder block wall and annoyed me.
She tries to look so innocent..
100_8167.JPG
So I checked on her often...
I couldn't have her doing all that banging so I moved my tires in front of the door...
and this is what I saw out my bedroom window...
100_8154.JPG
lololololo she's freakin stuck! hahaha and she fought me hard...omg!
100_8157.JPG
Poor Mary, she was humileated and I was laughing at her and she was stuck so hard...hahahaha
100_8156.JPG
A brief moment of comic relief in a tramatic day...
100_8152.JPG
and Houdini the Jerk in a different pen is at his usual obsession...
 

Chubbs the tegu

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Thursday as some of you know I had a fire in my tort shed. Fortunately, I didn't lose anyone, but the damage to the shed is awful and the tortoises had to move and as we know they don't like change. My shed was modified for Sulcata. It stays a constant 85 degrees, with insulation walls floor and ceiling. Now there's a hole in the floor...,
View attachment 328867
The insulation is burned and wet. The Fire department cut a large hole in the floor and pulled out the insulation. But as we all know, there's a lot of electrical crap we use that is expensive. Fire hoses sorta damage that stuff. I lost several lights, pig blanket and heater. Anyway, my main concern is my tortoises. In the house I moved box turtles around and put Houdini the Jerk in a box turtle table, another tort goes in the big box turtle table (just for sleeping). And Mary Knobbins is in a giant blue plastic bin. But during the day, they are all outside. I had to close the doggie door so Mary couldn't go in the shed. But this whole thing has freaked her out, the fire and smoke in her shed, the change in house and pens, all the freakin gorgeous firemen, looking all of 16 yrs old...lol....the 4 big fire trucks. So when it was time for a nap Mary went to her now closed doggie door and rammed it and banged it until I could hear her in the house. She already had to be moved out of the new pen as she knocked over my potted cactus, the cinder block wall and annoyed me.
She tries to look so innocent..
View attachment 328869
So I checked on her often...
I couldn't have her doing all that banging so I moved my tires in front of the door...
and this is what I saw out my bedroom window...
View attachment 328870
lololololo she's freakin stuck! hahaha and she fought me hard...omg!
View attachment 328871
Poor Mary, she was humileated and I was laughing at her and she was stuck so hard...hahahaha
View attachment 328872
A brief moment of comic relief in a tramatic day...
View attachment 328873
and Houdini the Jerk in a different pen is at his usual obsession...
Oh man! U got ur hands full Mags. Freaken Mary is hilarious
 

Yvonne G

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Fire has always been a big worry for me. I live on a busy street and there are foreign smells quite often from the traffic going by. I can even smell the cigarette smoke if they drive by with their window down. So I'm always going outside and checking if there's anything on fire. I'm so very sorry this has happened to you.

I doubt the pig blanket is ruined, but the controller is probably shot. Set it out in the sun for a few days to help it dry out (sun? in Oregon??). If it's shot, I have an extra one I'll send you.

For the benefit of our readers who may not be all that experienced at setting up enclosures, Maggie, Was this a clamp fixture that failed?
 

Sarah2020

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Really sorry what a scary event! Thankfully Mary, Houdini and others are safe and continue to keep you busy. She does like that tyre, so glad that can be a constant in the new enclosure. Hope you get it all reorganised. Take care
 

Maggie3fan

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Fire has always been a big worry for me. I live on a busy street and there are foreign smells quite often from the traffic going by. I can even smell the cigarette smoke if they drive by with their window down. So I'm always going outside and checking if there's anything on fire. I'm so very sorry this has happened to you.

I doubt the pig blanket is ruined, but the controller is probably shot. Set it out in the sun for a few days to help it dry out (sun? in Oregon??). If it's shot, I have an extra one I'll send you.

For the benefit of our readers who may not be all that experienced at setting up enclosures, Maggie, Was this a clamp fixture that failed?
No, I don't use the clamps as they do fail. I used a wooden clothes pin (yep) because the regular che over half of the shed had gone out and the tort using that che had gotten too cold and had a snotty nose. My grandson was visiting from California...we hadn't seen each other for 5 years. So I was busy with 2 grandsons, 28 and 33 so my animals were getting minimal care. I took out the bad che but it was the ceramic socket...so I put an older smaller light fixture in, added the che and hooked the wire over a nail and used a wooden clothes pin temporarily hooked the wire and went to be with the 2 grandsons. About 4 hours later the clothes pin failed and the che landed on the plywood floor burining all the way thru. Totally my fault.
 

zolasmum

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Oh Maggie - I am so sorry about all this happening to you - and to poor Mary Knobbins especially. I love to read your stories about her,and admire her determination very much.An example to us all !
I do hope you can get everything sorted and repaired really soon - can your big strong grandsons help?
Best wishes from Angie
 

Lulabee247

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Thursday as some of you know I had a fire in my tort shed. Fortunately, I didn't lose anyone, but the damage to the shed is awful and the tortoises had to move and as we know they don't like change. My shed was modified for Sulcata. It stays a constant 85 degrees, with insulation walls floor and ceiling. Now there's a hole in the floor...,
View attachment 328867
The insulation is burned and wet. The Fire department cut a large hole in the floor and pulled out the insulation. But as we all know, there's a lot of electrical crap we use that is expensive. Fire hoses sorta damage that stuff. I lost several lights, pig blanket and heater. Anyway, my main concern is my tortoises. In the house I moved box turtles around and put Houdini the Jerk in a box turtle table, another tort goes in the big box turtle table (just for sleeping). And Mary Knobbins is in a giant blue plastic bin. But during the day, they are all outside. I had to close the doggie door so Mary couldn't go in the shed. But this whole thing has freaked her out, the fire and smoke in her shed, the change in house and pens, all the freakin gorgeous firemen, looking all of 16 yrs old...lol....the 4 big fire trucks. So when it was time for a nap Mary went to her now closed doggie door and rammed it and banged it until I could hear her in the house. She already had to be moved out of the new pen as she knocked over my potted cactus, the cinder block wall and annoyed me.
She tries to look so innocent..
View attachment 328869
So I checked on her often...
I couldn't have her doing all that banging so I moved my tires in front of the door...
and this is what I saw out my bedroom window...
View attachment 328870
lololololo she's freakin stuck! hahaha and she fought me hard...omg!
View attachment 328871
Poor Mary, she was humileated and I was laughing at her and she was stuck so hard...hahahaha
View attachment 328872
A brief moment of comic relief in a tramatic day...
View attachment 328873
and Houdini the Jerk in a different pen is at his usual obsession...
I love this forum, I can’t stop laughing
 

MenagerieGrl

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Wow, Maggie, that was a"close one". As you mentioned, all the kids were not hurt, maybe mad as He** that their home is unavailable at the moment. It looks as though the "structure" can be repaired relatively easily, a lil insulation, a couple of 2 x 4's and a piece of ply to scab in and you'll be back in business. You might consider putting a battery operated fire alarm inside the enclosure, if only for piece of mind...
I'm so happy everyone was fine, and wishing you and them (Mary K. & Houdini) the best.
M.
 

William Lee Kohler

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I have to have a girl. If I took it and it turned out to be male I'd just have to rehome him again.
Well Maggie let's figure out if Houdini is a girl or boy. How about a bottom and rear end pic? Really sorry to hear this happened. One of my biggest fears.
 

Maggie3fan

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Wow, Maggie, that was a"close one". As you mentioned, all the kids were not hurt, maybe mad as He** that their home is unavailable at the moment. It looks as though the "structure" can be repaired relatively easily, a lil insulation, a couple of 2 x 4's and a piece of ply to scab in and you'll be back in business. You might consider putting a battery operated fire alarm inside the enclosure, if only for piece of mind...
I'm so happy everyone was fine, and wishing you and them (Mary K. & Houdini) the best.
M.
I am so glad you said "battery"...I was thinking about a fire alarm but now a daze at least here they are hard wired. yep battery smoke alarm in the shed...thanks ever so...:)
 
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Maggie3fan

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Well Maggie let's figure out if Houdini is a girl or boy. How about a bottom and rear end pic? Really sorry to hear this happened. One of my biggest fears.
Houdini is about a 3 yr old male and is going to live in Boulder CO with a TRO member...yaaaaahooooooooo
 

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