Charles Darwin's pet tortoise turned 175

Charles Darwin's pet tortoise turned 175 yesterday. That is a long
time even in "turtle years". Harriet came scampering out of her
tortoise shell in 1830. That was the same year that Joseph Smith
published "The Book of Mormon", and the same year as Emily Dickenson
was born and the year that Edwin Beard Budding invented the lawn
mower, which being a vegetarian might have been of more interest to
Harriet.

Harriet was only 5 years old when Charles Darwin saw how cute she
was and he put her in his cabin aboard the HMS Beagle. When they
got to Australia Darwin was probably afraid that their sailing ship
might get becalmed in the "horse latitudes" or in the Saragossa Sea
and then little Harriet would surely end up in the stew pot; so
Darwin left little Harriet in Australia; where she has been ever
since munching the veggies and lettuce that her keepers gave her.

She was 18 when the German Rune master Guido von List was born.

She was 29 when the world's first oil well was drilled.

She was 35 when the American Civil War ended.

She was 49 when Thomas Edison invented the light bulb.

Harriet was 78 years old the last time the Chicago Cubs won the
World Series, (though it may of course be impossible for any
creature to live long enough to see the Cubs win another World
Series).

Harriet was 81 when Ronald Reagan was born.

She was 139 when men first landed on the Moon, and yesterday Charles
Darwin's pet tortoise Harriet turned 175 years old.

Copyright: Edward A. Anderson II

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Turtle's Teachings:

"Since Turtle carries its home on its back, it has also been recognized as having the ability to 'manage' in difficult circumstances. Turtle has good hearing and can sense movement in the water through the membranes in the skin. Turtle even has a sense of smell and pretty good eyesight, reminding us not to judge any of our relations by outward appearances." Copyright: Unknown.