The Mighty Odin's first outdoor habitat/playpen

Odin's Gma

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Just read all your thread. Love it, criticism is a good tool if used correctly. I'm the same, take it on the chin and improve. Quality. Thick skinned. Maybe you will come back as an armadillo. lol Enjoyed reading this. 5*.
I hope so, I love armadillos too!
Showing off The Mighty Odin and my green thumb is a nice perk of this place, but the main reason I am here is to learn (never too old, right?). 11 months ago when my son acquired him the "breeder" (I use that term loosely) told him to keep him in a rubbermaid container with dry hay, some occasional carrot, and one of those crappy clamp lights . That's it, and I know now that is nowhere near adequate! If I had not found this place and really listened to what every one was saying I honestly don't know if Odin would still be with us, and I am certain he wouldn't be as happy and healthy as he is. I want to do right by this amazing creature and all constructive criticism towards that end is more than welcome. :)
 

Oxalis

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I want to do right by this amazing creature and all constructive criticism towards that end is more than welcome. :)
Nicely said!!! ;) I agree wholeheartedly! Everyone has such great input here! By the way, love your tortoise garden! All the plants are coming along very nicely! I hope my violas grow well too (just put the seeds down today). I'm glad Odin has someone who really cares looking out for him. This is even better for him since he's so young. It's best to start out a tortoise's life on the right foot! :tort::<3:
 

Odin's Gma

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By the way, love your tortoise garden! All the plants are coming along very nicely! I
Except we are going through another cold snap, there may even be frost coming, so I am a little concerned. :(

This is even better for him since he's so young. It's best to start out a tortoise's life on the right foot! :tort::<3:
I hope so, I still worry almost daily if I am doing enough, or doing things right.:confused:
 

Oxalis

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He looks pretty happy so far! I hope the cold does not harm your plants too!! I will cross my fingers for you! :D
 

Odin's Gma

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Despite a frigid night (34F!) it turned out to be a beautiful evening, and it appears that all the plants made it through!
After work I took Odin out and he immediately got all bitey while I cleared a billion maple seeds out of the playpen.001.JPG 004.JPG

He struck a majestic pose next to one of the hostas and took in the glorious sun for at least 10 minutes008.JPG

And took a stroll through the roses (and ate several leaves)011.JPG

He struck another amazing pose, like a body builder flexing for the ladies at the beach, just taking in the sunshine (and giving me a dirty look for taking pics)
015.JPG

And got busted trying to taste a rock (notice all the tiny seedlings? SQUEEE!!!!!)021.JPG
Enjoy the radish seedlings, they rarely get bigger than this with Odin around!
023.JPG

He ADORES petunias! I doubt those poor things will make it through the spring, I guess I should start more. :/039.JPG

I guess it's bedtime....

044.JPG

PSYCH! I see something I haven't tasted!045.JPG
THAT'S ENOUGH OF THE PICTURES, CRAZY LADY!
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I think the playpen is going to be a hit. :)
 

Odin's Gma

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We made a new friend while outside gardening and torting today!003.JPG

And played "find the tortoise"004.JPG

And basked in the sun010.JPG

And hid from the sprinkler015.JPG

And then looked for tasty food020.JPG026.JPG

With a "full" belly the sprinkler no longer mattered so we patroled and ate more035.JPG 046.JPG


5 hours in the sun. One of us will have a sunburn.....050.JPG
 

Oxalis

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Awww!! We just today found a toad in the backyard too!! He hopped under our deck.

I just love Odin; he has such a pretty shell!! :<3::<3::<3:
 

Odin's Gma

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Awww!! We just today found a toad in the backyard too!! He hopped under our deck.

Many years ago when my kids were little we had a giant inflatable pool in the backyard and my husband popped it with the weed whacker and flooded the yard. Right after, when the ground was still pretty soaked, I went out and helped him roll it up to throw it out and the entire area that was underneath the pool was moving! We thought it was bugs or worms, but it was thousands of tiny toads!

I can't even bring myself to mow the lawn since then because I am so afraid it will result in a massacre. :(

I just love Odin; he has such a pretty shell!! :<3::<3::<3:
I think so too! I wonder if it will keep those colors when he is giant and old?
 

Odin's Gma

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After a cloudy, rainy weekend we had a few rays of sunshine, so I snatched Odin from his indoor hide and whisked him outside! He looked confused.001.JPG 003.JPG 004.JPG

But the rain has made a huge impact on the playpen. Look at all the green!016.JPG

Eventually he figured out that he was in his happy place and he got to patrolling and biting!027.JPG 030.JPG 039.JPG 045.JPG 047.JPG

And he had his first bites of strawberry leaf!059.JPG 060.JPG
061.JPG 065.JPG

And quickly moved on to taste the mint. Is there such thing as too many choices?068.JPG

Full bellly, post playpen, pre-bath, with Gma. How can you not love that dirty face!?!076.JPG
 

Oxalis

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Aw, so cute! So many tasty options! What are those orange flowers you have? They're lovely!
 

Odin's Gma

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Aw, so cute! So many tasty options! What are those orange flowers you have? They're lovely!
Zinnias! I got a packet of mixed seeds so I had no idea what colors they would be. So far they are mostly shades of orange and yellow, but there are a couple of plants with white flowers also. No idea what the ones that haven't bloomed or sprouted yet are, it's like a Christmas surprise almost every day!
 

Oxalis

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Zinnias! I got a packet of mixed seeds so I had no idea what colors they would be. So far they are mostly shades of orange and yellow, but there are a couple of plants with white flowers also. No idea what the ones that haven't bloomed or sprouted yet are, it's like a Christmas surprise almost every day!
Thanks! This is one seed I actually forgot to pick up this year! :D
 

Odin's Gma

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Odin was not at all confused today, he was blissful! So much jaw exercise!004.JPG 005.JPG 006.JPG

And added bonus (for me) was that the two garden staues I ordered arrived! This is in my non Odin veggie garden014.JPG

And this is Odin's!018.JPG

He wasn't as amused as I was.020.JPG

But BOY did he strut!
Picture John Travolta in Stayin' Alive, but cooler....021.JPG 025.JPG 029.JPG 041.JPG 043.JPG 051.JPG 054.JPG 055.JPG 064.JPG
 

Odin's Gma

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A lot of long work days interspersed with cold and rainy days and I have barely seen the garden, or Odin, but I took a peek tonight and it is beautiful!
(my son has taken Odin out a few times when weather permitted....without me.....:(
061.JPG
 

Odin's Gma

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Sunshiney day!

As soon as I got home I grabbed Odin and raced to the playpen! I dropped him in the thick of it while I used a scissors to trim the enormously tall grass...001.JPG

He immediately set out to eradicate the massive amount of new clover seedlings..002.JPG 005.JPG 008.JPG

He ate himself a path of destruction. Are there just too many choices, @Tom , @Yvonne G ? He isn't even patrolling, just eating in a circle.o_O
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So I moved him to the other side.013.JPG

He did not even flinch. Just kept biting.016.JPG

Until there was a new path of destruction!025.JPG

He checked out the newly trimmed grass and gave me a look that said "I didn't need your help, crazy lady!"026.JPG 030.JPG

And then went into his burrow to nibble down the errant seedlings popping up in there.039.JPG

Proof that my thumbs aren't as green as I wish they were. Need more shade for the hostas!043.JPG

And the more, lone mallow may not make it (but I have a couple thousand more mallow seeds to drop in!)045.JPG

Too cute for words!!!!!!047.JPG

And, the first strawberry of the season goes to Odin! (His third taste of strawberry ever!)

"Really, Grandma? Is this a trick?"051.JPG

"looks legit"053.JPG

"Tastes legit"055.JPG

"She isn't stopping me!"057.JPG

"OH! It's glorious!"065.JPG

"wait, where did it go?"076.JPG

"strawberry? What strawberry? WALK AWAY! YOU SAW NOTHING!"077.JPG
 

Odin's Gma

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Another decent weekend, another expansion!
The first outline of the playpen was @45 square feet, we are now @ 120! We expanded down closer to the maple to give the hostas a bit more shade.001.JPG

Which meant digging them up and scooting them back. We added a small wire fence and dropped in a grape vine behind his burrow for more snacking shade.003.JPG

And after eating his weight in seedlings he finally got around to noticing the expansion!010.JPG 012.JPG

But was soon distracted by my son trimming his grass so he headed over to investigate015.JPG

And continued to monitor the boys work018.JPG

Oh! I also scored a really sad and half dead potentilla and a caladium from a friend and tossed that in. I don't know if I can save them, but i am sure gonna try! The potentilla is just to the right of his newly relocated water dish, the caladium is to the left of the unhappy hosta that was getting too much sun.
I am pretty pleased with all of it, but Odin is irritated that there isn't enough sun right now so he went into his burrow to sulk.
Hopefully the weather will hold so we can go back out when the sun moves across the yard.024.JPG
 

Odin's Gma

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A wonderful day in the sun!

Odin scoped out the expanded digs while my son and I decided what branches to trim on the maple008.JPG 014.JPG

And then we unleashed him on the yard so he could survey his future digs!015.JPG 016.JPG 017.JPG

The boy scaled the tree to trim branches to allow more sun into the playpen019.JPG 023.JPG

While Odin roamed (and ate) freely. He's that dot in the middle.025.JPG

I guess the grass 20 feet outside of his enclosure somehow tastes better than the grass within?030.JPG

He seemed very pleased with the rest of his future space.042.JPG

I got down in the grass to stalk him, he questioned my sanity.051.JPG 052.JPG

Then he took a break from roaming and got down to severely trimming some delicious clover065.JPG 075.JPG 086.JPG

Then he was set free again, and the boy stalked me stalking him089.JPG 091.JPG

Odin was shocked at how irritating the humans were095.JPG

But with that face how can you not want a million pictures!?!099.JPG
 

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