Today is Earth Day and I think she's sending me a message from within ... my fish tank??
Every morning I do the same pet-related routine:
let Olive out the pass-thru window onto the deck and give him food
let the girls out the front door
give Jasper his morning medicine and make sure his leggies are functioning fully
feed the goldfish
feed the girls
This morning, I did all of that, like usual. Only this time, I noticed there was a visitor in the fish tank that shouldn't, and probably didn't want to, be there. A baby lizard.
A baby lizard was clinging helplessly to the side of the fish tank. Half submerged and probably half frozen, my eyes nearly welled with tears as I thought of how long the little guy must have been in there ... and how he got there in the first place!
I immediately dropped my keys and my orange juice, dunked my hand in and scooped him to safety. I examined him quickly to make sure his legs were intact, and they were. And surprisingly, his tail was whole as well. I picked up my orange juice and my keys with my other hand and carried him out of the house and to my garden.
But he refused to let go. I shook, I pried, I pushed, I peeled and that little bugger would not budge. So I decided if he was going to be stubborn, I would too. As I got closer to my car, lizard still clinging to the back of my hand, I prepared myself for what may end up being a rather bizarre drive to work. I offered him many a tree branch before finally giving up.
At one point, I even dropped him onto a vine thinking he'd just grab on and I could leave, but he didn't. He caught a leaf with one toe, ONE TOE, and hung there, upside down and practically lifeless, begging me to take him with me. So I did.
Navigating out of my parking space and doing my usual three point turn were the hardest parts of the drive. I had to focus so hard on keeping my hand upright so he could hold on for safety. We made it all the way to work before he decided he wanted to move around (that's 45 minutes, folks). I dropped him into a cup and carried him into the office before I intended to let him go.
I took a couple pictures of my new friend and carried the cup outside, but the bugger wouldn't get out. He kept running around and around inside, refusing to come to the open end. So I reached in and pulled him out, and he ran right up my shirt to my neck and stayed there.
By this time, I'm bewildered. Does this little guy really think I'm his new momma? And if so, how do I take care of a baby lizard?
I sat outside, torn and unsure of what I should do, and then I decided I'd do exactly what the lizard wanted me to. I'd take him back inside and welcome him to hang out with my while I get my work done. And so that's what we're doing right now.
For the most part, he's been too afraid to leave either the cup or my hand, but he's starting to explore now. He's been climbing all over the papers on my desk and most recently, he discovered my lucky bamboo plant.
I think we have a connection.
I like him, he's got beautiful eyes.
I named him Ed. (Earth Day) And he's the new office lizard; don't worry, we've got plants for him. Thank goodness my bosses are accepting of my eccentricities.
Every morning I do the same pet-related routine:
let Olive out the pass-thru window onto the deck and give him food
let the girls out the front door
give Jasper his morning medicine and make sure his leggies are functioning fully
feed the goldfish
feed the girls
This morning, I did all of that, like usual. Only this time, I noticed there was a visitor in the fish tank that shouldn't, and probably didn't want to, be there. A baby lizard.
A baby lizard was clinging helplessly to the side of the fish tank. Half submerged and probably half frozen, my eyes nearly welled with tears as I thought of how long the little guy must have been in there ... and how he got there in the first place!
I immediately dropped my keys and my orange juice, dunked my hand in and scooped him to safety. I examined him quickly to make sure his legs were intact, and they were. And surprisingly, his tail was whole as well. I picked up my orange juice and my keys with my other hand and carried him out of the house and to my garden.
But he refused to let go. I shook, I pried, I pushed, I peeled and that little bugger would not budge. So I decided if he was going to be stubborn, I would too. As I got closer to my car, lizard still clinging to the back of my hand, I prepared myself for what may end up being a rather bizarre drive to work. I offered him many a tree branch before finally giving up.
At one point, I even dropped him onto a vine thinking he'd just grab on and I could leave, but he didn't. He caught a leaf with one toe, ONE TOE, and hung there, upside down and practically lifeless, begging me to take him with me. So I did.
Navigating out of my parking space and doing my usual three point turn were the hardest parts of the drive. I had to focus so hard on keeping my hand upright so he could hold on for safety. We made it all the way to work before he decided he wanted to move around (that's 45 minutes, folks). I dropped him into a cup and carried him into the office before I intended to let him go.
I took a couple pictures of my new friend and carried the cup outside, but the bugger wouldn't get out. He kept running around and around inside, refusing to come to the open end. So I reached in and pulled him out, and he ran right up my shirt to my neck and stayed there.
By this time, I'm bewildered. Does this little guy really think I'm his new momma? And if so, how do I take care of a baby lizard?
I sat outside, torn and unsure of what I should do, and then I decided I'd do exactly what the lizard wanted me to. I'd take him back inside and welcome him to hang out with my while I get my work done. And so that's what we're doing right now.
For the most part, he's been too afraid to leave either the cup or my hand, but he's starting to explore now. He's been climbing all over the papers on my desk and most recently, he discovered my lucky bamboo plant.
I think we have a connection.
I like him, he's got beautiful eyes.
I named him Ed. (Earth Day) And he's the new office lizard; don't worry, we've got plants for him. Thank goodness my bosses are accepting of my eccentricities.
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