I had the day off yesterday, so I spent the vast majority of it, working on a proper nursery for the Roxettes. It’ll be somewhere between 60 days and next spring before they hatch (assuming they do hatch), but average is 70 days, so there was no hurry, but I had the extra day, and although it was hot as hell, it’s not going to get better until September, so I went with what I had.

I’d gone to CHC after work on Monday because the only boards I had were 12″ clear pine that were rather wider and significantly more expensive than necessary for a box turtle nursery. The lumber guy was very nice; I’d told him that if he had a couple of ugly 6 or 8 inch boards he wanted to get rid of, this would be a good time to do it because it didn’t matter to me. He cut two 1×8 in half for me so they’d fit in HK, and then I asked for something small to make corner braces, and he said he had some scrap that he’d ripped off a 2″ board earlier. More on that later. I got some outdoor screws just in case I didn’t have anything here that was the right length.

It was approximately 8 million degrees outside, even at 7AM, but it was only 7 million in the gradge, so that’s where I started. No goddamned way was I going to dig out the table saw or the mitre saw, and P doesn’t like it if I use a skilsaw in there because there’s a lot of dust. It was too early to use the skilsaw outside–it’s loud, and the last thing I need is neighbours calling cops, and I know one who would–so that left me with a jigsaw. Since this was definitely a case of function over fashion, and two of the boards were already 4′ long, I just used that.

Not exactly cabinet making here; a 3′ x 4′ frame, butt joints because: a) I had only a jigsaw; and, b) neither the turtles nor I gave a rat’s arse. I placed the escape openings in that corner because when the frame is in place, I want them to go in the direction of the creek or Sarah-Flah’s Giant Flowerbed, not to the north (AKA Trash Pandaville), and not to the east because should they make it across the patio and around the house without becoming a cat toy, they’d end up in our postage-stamp front yard, and then on the street. There’s little traffic, but I’d be sick if one of them were killed for just not knowing which way to go. Anyway, butt joints, 2″ high escape openings because I read on a turtle rescue site that they’d tried 1″ and the baby turtles had trouble getting out, then they increased to 2″ and it was perfect. One board was slightly warped and wouldn’t draw, so I have one bad corner. Not going to come apart, but doesn’t look nice. Meh.

Oh, the corner braces! The nice lumber guy thought he was being helpful when he cut the short lengths he knew I wanted for corner braces, and he was trying so hard to be nice that I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I needed 45 degree angles. I just didn’t have the energy and it was too fucking hot to dig out the table saw or the mitre saw, and the pieces were too short to cut with a skilsaw if I wanted to keep all ten fingers, so I said fuck it and did the best I could with a jigsaw. Frame complete–good enough!

I took the hardware cloth (leftovers from the Luna moth cocoon winter enclosure I built a few years ago) off the half-assed turtle nursery, and started to cut a straight edge. I had help in the form of a Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillar, trundling across the hardware cloth. I trekked him down to the pipevine because they’ve eaten all of the snakeroot, and on my way back, there was another, casually strolling across the patio. I took him to the pipevine, then went to the remains of the snakeroot to look for more. I found a few; they’re almost ready to pupate, but looked like they had a day’s worth of eating left. Maybe two. I took them to the pipevine, then found a tiny guy. I was going to take him to the wooly pipevine on the fence, but it was already occupied, so I found some tender leaves in Sarah-Flah’s Giant Flowerbed. While I was placing him, a female Pipevine Swallowtail was depositing eggs. I think it’s going to be another good year for this species! Anyway, once I’d finished caterpillar wrangling, I went back to work on the turtle nursery.

I used nail-in cable staples in the corners, regular staples (and lots of them!) on the rest because the nail-in ones would split a 1″ board if there were more than a few. Knowing raccoons as I do, they’ll worry the tiniest edge with their clever little hands until they get at whatever they’re after, so I put enough staples in this thing that I’m pretty sure I am now on Arrow’s Christmas card list.

Once I had the hardware cloth trimmed, I went around the edges with a scrap of wood, and pounded them all down flush. On the cut ends, I left the sharp wires, and just pushed them down so that any human picking it up wouldn’t get poked, but a raccoon trying to pick at the wire would get an unpleasant surprise. There–done!

I had to pull out the bachelors buttons that had volunteered there, but they were pretty much done anyway, and the bees and butterflies have lots of other flowers, so no real loss. The slabs of sandstone at the sides go on top because I don’t want skunks lifting the frame in their snuffling efforts to find worms, grubs, and insects. I put the flags back in; they’re a few inches from the edges of the hole that Roxy dug, so I’ll know the location of the actual nest.

Escape openings. Jigsaw blade was getting dull by this time, and I couldn’t be arsed to change it, but they’re not horrible.

Everything’s in place. Since I’d had to move some dirt around, and freshly dug, damp soil is a magnet for creatures that eat worms, I shoved some sweetgum balls around the spots where I’d dug soil. Given what else is available in our yard, and how close to the patio the nest is located, that should be enough to deter skunks. I know raccoons won’t bother spiky balls; their clever little hands are very sensitive, and spiky balls have worked to keep them from digging plants up around the pond.

Turtle nursery complete! Wait…something is missing. It’s a nursery, and no self-respecting nursery is without a…mobile! Some 1/4″ dowel left from winter roost houses, a hook/chain from a suet feeder (I always keep them, just in case), some fishing line and weights from P’s disused tackle box, and some laminated pictures of baby TMNT that I liberated off teh intarwebz.

P thought it was very funny, and they are rather cute!