Topsey

Soon other animals came to live on Clay Island. Octopus, who was an old friend of Topsey’s, had decided to move his entire family to Clay Island. He came with his wife, his three sons and their wives, and seven grandchildren. Suddenly, there were octopuses everywhere! When Patches yelled, “Hey Octopus, come over here a minute,” there were fifteen octopuses gathered around him! One day Patches said to Octopus, “Octopus, I have a new name for you. You are Octopus of Topsail Island, and your initials are O.T.I. so from now on I will call you Oti.” Everybody liked that!

Logan and Roxey Jane graduated from university and were now ready to start their new lives. They both came to Clay Island to set up shop. Dr. Logan had opened her Animal Clinic, and Roxey Jane opened a chemistry shop that she called “Chemistry”. Dr. Logan’s Animal Clinic was at the edge of the shore on the inlet side of the north end so she could treat animals on the island or in the water. The Animal Clinic was right beside Clayann’s Pottery Shed, because Clayann also had healing oils in her shop, and sometimes they worked together in the healing process. Roxey Jane’s Chemistry was on the other side of the Animal Clinic. They all worked side by side, and often met to have brainstorming sessions or just to have tea.

Ms. Jelly Fish also came to open shop on Clay Island. Many of the visitors went to her shop to get backpacks for their trip back to Topsail Island or also to take jugs of oils home. They took home jars of Ms. Jelly Fish’s jelly, which she now called “JellyJel”.

All these shops formed the little village of Clayville.

Clay Island was getting busier and busier! Clayann had to schedule the turtles to have their shells colored, and for spa treatments. Dr. Logan had to schedule animals or take emergencies as they came in for treatment. Roxey Jane was always busy in the Chemistry, working on experiments and studying this new clay surface on the island.

Ms. Jelly Fish was always busy making her backpacks or her JellyJel. Clayann’s pots certainly, came in handy for this! Topsey and his volunteers stayed busy clearing the land for his gardens or planting new plants. Visitors would arrive at the island and go up to Clayann and say, “Where can we help today?” Clayann was busy trying to organize everything and everybody, and she was just much too busy! But she thought, “It is just miraculous how all these animals have come together on this stinky old island to visit and to live. We are so blessed!