Two months together, and only one unusual occurence

Yesterday marked the end of the second month that Ilarion has existed under my care. Given the many sources of inaccurate, incomplete and mythological information on Russian tortoise husbandry, this two months is something of a miracle for both of us.
The only thing exceptional so far was the night before last, when I caught Ilarion cruising around without his shell.

Here was his strange little brown, yellow and green body – looking like no other creature I have ever seen, scampering around his estate, with his shell left parked on the far side of his little bridge (handcrafted, I might add).
We are apparently to look for oddities such as this once in a blue moon, one of which we are actually having this month. Check your calendar: Full moons on the second AND the thirty-first. (Second one in a month is the blue moon. Very rare. Only happens once every blue moon.)
So, anyway, here is Ilarion, sans shell, climbing more like a monkey all over his estate. His yellowed inside-shell skin looked like uncooked chicken skin. His forelegs looked like he was wearing a woven shirt from the days of the Renaissance. Big sleeves, you know.
With what wondering eyes did I watch as my tortoise – or most of him – reached one of his four-toed feet through the covering, pushed it open, hoisted himself onto the roof, smiled at me and began to dance while singing, “Hello my honey …”
Believe it or not … (more anon).