Tilly

The northeast edge of the Sonoran Desert, in the state of Arizona, offers up a most delectable palate of mesmerizing scenery. 
It has terrain that stretches flat for miles and miles but yet is rimmed with jagged edged mountains.   Some of the hills leading to the mountains are mounded with boulders.  They are massive monolithic pieces of stone, bigger than a two story house. They sit silently atop their perch, looking out over the desert for untold millennia while quietly whispering the ancient truths of how they came to be. 

Although somewhat sandy, the desert floor mostly consists of rocks and small stones, giving it the appearance of an old gravel road, left to itself many moons ago.   It is dotted with small, scrubby mesquite trees that somehow survive the summer heat, patiently waiting for the monsoon season to come and replenish their thirsty roots.  There are many species of cacti that cover the landscape, the prickly pear, barrel and the mighty Saguaro.  The Saguaro stands like a giant warrior, warning anyone who enters into this arid land, that the path will not be tread lightly.  It too could tell many a desert tale spanning back a century or more.  

There are many creatures that call the desert home.  Small ground squirrels, lizards and the snake who slithered quickly under a small shrub.  The rattle snake is quite common along with bobcats and the occasional mountain lion.  The five coyotes standing in the small grassy park, their almond shaped eyes staring cautiously, looked much more akin to their great ancestor the wolf, than the coyotes from the great Mid-West.

Following along a small path, I was led to an enclosure.  It was made with concrete blocks, stacked two high and maybe three deep in the ground.  It was quite large and in the middle was a mound of earth that looked as if it had been poured in that spot.  Below the mound was the source of the spilled contents, a large hole.  It tunneled down into darkness and its end could not be seen from the above vantage point.  I was told that this is where Tilly lives.  Tilly, the tortoise.

Not sure what to expect, I waited while my niece called to Tilly.  She did so just like someone would call in the cat. "Here Tillytillytilly!"  Just as I was thinking to myself, you can't call a turtle, I heard a noise.  What happened next was nothing short of being thrown back into a time warp where dinosaurs roamed the planet.  Out of the darkness emerged two huge front legs.  They were covered with large scales and ended with five sharp claws.  These were the tools that had carved the cave and threw the debris into a mound in the middle of the enclosure.  Right behind these living excavators was the head of the beast.  Tilly, the African Sulcata tortoise, emerged into the sunlight, blinking the sleep from her golden eyes.  She was a sight to behold!  Once out of her confines, she looked us right in the eye and began to crawl towards us.  Undoubtedly the biggest turtle I had ever encountered, I was amazed not only by her size, but by her personality.  She was truly happy to have the company along with the lettuce and fruit that had been brought along.  

The next day, as I was looking for some desert quartz among the stones, I passed Tilly's enclosure.  She had already seen me and was nearly at a gallop to greet me.  Not wanting to miss the opportunity to converse with a real live dinosaur, but also being empty handed, aside from the rocks, I made a mad dash back to the house.  She was still waiting when I returned with more goodies from the produce drawer of the frig.  As she snacked, I patted her on the head and marveled at the intricate patterns on her shell.  It was another valuable lesson about being connected to all living creatures.  Plus, there was even a bonus, it really is possible to call a turtle.