Wait. I never posted "Peridot Power", did I? I wrote it so long ago and have shown it to friends, I assumed I put it on the blog, but I don't think I did.
I'd begun going to the park and become familiar with some of the turtles in the front pond I now call Duck Pond. Because one turtle came out by herself basking and gleaming in the early morning light before the others, I thought she looked like--and asked if I could call her "Gemstone" because she looked like a pretty green stone.
Another day, she came with a little one by her side. Since humans sometimes speak of children as a chip off the old block, I asked Gemstone if I could name her hatchling "Chip" because he seemed to come out and pose just like her. I think she nodded. But the next day, she came with a smaller turtle next to Chip.
"You'd have to light a fire there to see him; he's so small!" I searched my mind for a rock name for this one, since the other two were rock names too. "Flint! That's it! They're rocks, but not any ol' rock will do--only this special rock can make flames! Maybe Flint can be like that too!" Again, Gemstone seemed pleased. So turtles Gemstone, tiny Chip, and even smaller Flint basked on that rock.
But a few days later, I realized what I thought was a tiny leaf next to Flint was another teeny tiny terto! Gemstone seemed to almost apologize when she looked at me, but at the same time was proud to show me another child. Then she seemed to ask if I might find another "rock name" for it too?
Find a name for a turtle not even as big as a dragonfly, like a little dot on a pebble? Something clicked in my mind. Yes! There was a green gemstone called PeriDOT! "Can we call him 'Peri' for now, and 'Peridot' when he grows up?" I asked Gemstone. I think all the turtles listening nodded approval.
You can read later the story of how our beetle-sized hero, Peri, managed to get a ladybug-sized newborn back to its mother. I've heard truth is stranger than fiction, but it's more awesome when you see it in nature!
