Surprise visitor

Out to the garden this morning to check gas level before forthcoming string of firings [six or seven,including lustres/decals and,if I can summon up the nerve,a crystal firing or two] and stumbled upon this unexpected but most welcome guest.We used to have five tortoises in the courtyard,all called Vladik [it's a long story],but one by one they left us.The new arrival in the garden [let's call him Vladik] can easily get out,but,meanwhile,we are honoured by his presence.By the way,we never succeeded in determining the gender of our tortoises,despite a graphic reference manual ["Tortoise Sexing for Fun and Profit"]-anyone out there possess expertise in this arcane field?
Firing the last bisc [#5 I think]today,tidying up the studio for tomorrow's cinematic activity,dragging out the glaze buckets,starting to mix up glazes,waxing lids and feet where indicated.Warm and sunny-is Winter past,with slightly less than a metre required to fill up the Kinneret,or does it still have a trick up its sleeve?The vine is starting to eye me reproachfully,requesting its Spring prune.Drank two excellent bottles of last year's wine over Shabbat,to my relief,some bottles having turned out a bit fizzy.I still have two 20 litre bottles of experimental kiddush wine,which I have not dared investigate for a while.