I have her tank in my bedroom. I live in a house w/ a roommate who's tolerant of her, but wouldn't handle her if his life depended on it, so I keep her where I'm sure if she escapes, she'll still likely to be somewhere I can track her down (which has already happened once LOL). She's on my dresser by the foot end of the bed, so I can lay & watch her as I watch TV, which is as relaxing as watching fish! So I do see her activities pretty often. I've the one water dish for her now- this one:

Zoo Med Repti Ramp Bowl at PETCO

If she's using it as a pool, she's really on the down low with it. One of the days when I was cleaning her tank, I put some water in the bath tub and let her swim around for about half an hour. She didn't seem real happy about it, but I think it just scared her from being in such a different environment with different smells. I had a lot of fun watching her though. LOL Once I took her out and was holding her again, she calmed down in no time at all. I think I'll probably let her swim like that a little more often since she doesn't seem to use the dish.

She's come a long way since July when I found her. She'll wrap around my fingers and crawl all around my hands, and very rarely does she "bolt" like she used to. Her eating habits have changed too since the weather's gotten colder. I think she's got an "internal clock" that's telling her she should be hibernating, but she isn't, so she's adjusting by not eating as much or being as active in her tank.

I know she knows where the water is, and she can get to it, so as long as I keep it fresh and available, I'm not going to worry too much about it. But she does seem to have an on-going development to her personality. I'm finding garters have a way of keeping owners on their toes that way, don't they? LOL