Fancy Free

"We talk of sunshine and of song,

And summer days when we were young;

sweet childish days that were as long

As twenty days are now." -William Wordsworth, "To a Butterfly"

A meandering stone walkway, hugged by neat rows of emerald green boxwood, leads to the welcoming front door of a small white clapboard house, surrounded by abundant blossoms of cornflower-blue hydrangeas. As if plucked from a fairytale forest, this captivating cottage houses a pint-sized art studio and was lovingly created for two special children, Julia and Jack, by their doting grandfather, "Pops."

And the magic doesn't end there. Step onto the side porch of this amazing little house, and you'll find a classic black wrought-iron table ready for tea parties, quiet time with a book or chatting with a best friend. A winsome white footbridge beckons just beyond, taking visitors up and over a delightful turtle fort (also created by Pops) that is home to Fred, Lil Weezy, Bashful, Frank, Rocky, Sunshine and Achmed, a mixture of box turtles and Russian tortoises. "Jack and Julia love to spend time in this special area of our yard," says mom, Jen. "It's so peaceful out here. I call it the little Zen garden." In addition to the turtles, Koi fish Jeremiah, Nigel and Flipper have found a happy home swimming amongst the lily pads and beneath a bubbling fountain.

Loving animals is just natural for Jack and Julia, who also have an adorable white dog named Coco. "Jack loves to take care of the turtles," says Jen. "He is very interested in science and animals and has researched everything there is to know about turtle care." Every winter, Jack carefully places his charges in two big Tupperware containers filled with mulch, food and some water. The turtles burrow down in the mulch and hibernate for the winter. "Sometimes I'll take them out and put them in warm water to give them some moisture," Jack explains.

And just as a mother can distinguish her twins, Jack and Julia know exactly who each turtle and fish is and have fun conducting turtle races on their driveway.

"We are really creating some wonderful childhood memories here," says Jen, "especially the memories Jack and Julia will have of spending time with their Pops," who regularly stops by to see if the turtles are okay and if, just maybe, they need to think of something new and fun to add to the fort.

RESOURCES:

PondMarket, www.pondmarket.com

Pond Crazy, 314-962-5833, www.pondcrazy.com

PETCO, www.petco.com

PetSmart(R), www.petsmart.com

Lowe's(R), www.lowes.com

The Home Depot, www.homedepot.com

Kirkwood Material Supply, Inc., 314-822-9644, www.kirkwoodmaterial.com

Summit Farms Nursery & Home, 314-984-9496