Tortoise black market ....

... Oh how I want a tortoise in my life. A proper one, like English and American and Japanese kiddies can have.
A Greek one,

or a Russian one,

or maybe a Leopard Tortoise.

Just a little one, not one of those Galapagos jonnies,

that would be silly.
But I am THWARTED by the guvamint. Bastards.
Does anyone know if there's an black market in illegal exotic tortoises out there? Do I really have to go and live in another country?
I'd rather miss Mr Brown.

I actually do have a tortoise ...

... he lives in the garden, he's just not a particularly satisfactory tortoise. Goes by the name of Kenneth.

I understand the concept of quarantine ...

... really, I do, but I'm dying just a little bit knowing I'll never have a pygmy hedgehog come to live at the Brown-Mouse House (also, on the same theme, I die a little each day knowing I'll never own a tortoise).

I was pootling around the interwebs the other day ...

... just poking about looking at stuff and I found a nice chap in the UK who makes pen cases.
Now yes, I've got a pen case, a rather lovely pen case, but it's full and I had pens living in the squalor that is mugs and the boxes they came in. Bah! So uncivilised.
So I ordered one from the lovely Geoff. I ordered one with yellow felt lining. And it has arrived. And I have moved some pens out of the old case and into the new. I now have a drawer for the Lamy Safaris and AL-Stars, and room for more (they come in so many tempting colours after all). The next drawer down has my Noodler's pens, my A.G. Spalding & Bros, a Platinum Plaisir, a Marlen Secret and a big fat yellow Bexley. Then there's the cheery pens, a Tombow, two lime-green Pilot Preras (the product of a sticky key and a late night on the interweb) and a Pilot Lucina. The Pilots come in so many colours, clear too in the case of the Preras, so there's room for more. And two more drawers, completely empty - but for how long?
And over in the fancy cabinet, I've got the fancy pens.
A couple of Lamys, a treasured Pelikan green tortoise, my Stipulas, my Edison Pen Co pens (including the Morgan), a couple of Platinum Celluloids and a big butch Faber Castell. Under that there's the clear pens (Pilot, Pelikan and Stipula), a Think Gatsby, the Jac Zagoory Write No Evil, a lovely emerald-green Franklin-Christoph and then the blacks. The blacks include the Parker my dad gave me and the Sheaffer Stubby. There's now an empty bottom drawer .... And as I had a little spend frenzy the other day (due to the Australian dollar being worth 1.10 of those useful US dollars) I happen to know there's at least two more heading my way. At least now I have suitable accommodations.