Godzilla Climbs Mt. Jeep

I don't bother these creatures.  I have transported lizards before and arrived with one looking at  me from a weird crevasse in the car.

I have a live and let live attitude towards Lizards.  Even these invasive Curly Tailed Lizards.

I figure if one gets into my Jeep and does not cause too much of a mess, and survives, I probably needed to set loose a pest spray inside the car.  They are finding food, shelter, and get enough water if they are there for more than a short visit.  

I don't care for pesticides myself.

I just have to say that it is a bit strange looking down into the car when I am inside the house and seeing those little eyes looking back at me. 

 

Now I have been told that we had lizards in Suburban South Jersey where I grew up but I never saw them.   Here in Suburban South Florida I know of two lizards that live in my Florida Room on a permanent basis. 

As a result I have markedly fewer insects invading my space.

I'll take a lizard over a mosquito any day.  It's a case of choosing your guests.  

Besides my hand gets tired flinging that tennis racket around.  The Tennis Racket Of Doom is strung with wires into which voltage is passed at the right current to vaporize what ever bugs are caught to create a circuit between them.  A brief snap, a flash, and that insect has gone to its next reality.

Even if that next life will not be a relation to me.

Lizard on a Hot Tin Roof

Up North in the Big Cities, if you find any wildlife indoors, you call an exterminator.

I don't mean pets, or your weird relatives, but "wildlife".

Non domesticated animals or insects.

Here, I've grown a bit more relaxed about that.

When I moved to South Florida, I remember being told a few "important things". 

Always bang your shoes out on the ground.
Check your bed for spiders.
Don't go swimming in a lake, there are gators in the water.


Ok, the Gator thing?  Yeah I believe it.  I was at a park in Dania Beach once and had to leave a dock because I saw a gator approaching.  I think it wanted to turn Lettie into its next meal.  She didn't know what to make of it and was getting agitated.

Trust in Dog, I got out of there.

But the shoes thing?  Nah.  At least not in my house. They were trying to throw a fear into me about scorpions.

Nine years later, I have seen exactly one scorpion and that was living outdoors where it belongs.

Now mind you, wildlife does get in.  We have killed more mosquitoes here than I care to count.  We've also got one of those cool tennis racket looking dealies that you press a button and wave through the air.  You see a flash and hear a "SNICK!" and the nasty girl is vaporized.

They're always female if they're trying to bite you.  Always.

Spiders?  Not if you make your bed.  Plus, like Constance says, the bed just LOOKS better if it is properly made.  You could bounce a quarter off that blanket!

On the other hand, there are my Lizards.  Typically they are Cuban Browns that get in, but there are also the pink Geckos that end up being seen right around dusk.

The Geckos get hungry and come out looking for food.

Hey, Geckos!  You're slacking.  Go after the mosquitoes and I'll even set up a habitat for you!

Don't laugh, there's a story I was told about people in New York City keeping lizards in the house like you and I do with dogs.  They run around and eat cockroaches.

If I see cockroaches, we call and have the house tented.  *shudder*.

But the Cuban Browns are everywhere keeping a watch over you.

I have never found them in my shoes, but they do get in the house.

For some reason people fear them.  I'm deeply entertained by them, and I think they know it.

Yes, I am the Lizard Whisperer.  Or something like that.

But tapping your shoe on the ground before you put it on?  Only if it was left in the closet too long.  Then you might have to worry about those spiders making a web in them.

Oh, in that case, they're most likely dead.  After all, a web in your Size 11 Boot won't catch many bugs to eat behind a closed door, will it?

They can't bite you, although if  you find an ornery one they will try.  They just don't have any teeth.  Just like Grandma, all they can do is gum their food.  Girls would catch them and get them to bite their earlobes to wear lizards as earrings.

I guess they tickled.  Silly girls.

Orchid and Lizard

Late one afternoon, I took Rack, my faithful McNab superdog, out to the backyard for his pre-walk visit to the wormhole.

He went about his business.  Doing a perimeter search around the yard is important work for Rack. 

We did our dance.  My clapping hands peppering the yard with sounds of joy as Rack rounded the palm tree and over the spa, seemingly hovering in mid-air as he glided over top of it, long way around.

Then he disappeared to the other dimension where he keeps his alternate superdog family in that other galaxy on the other side of the wormhole.

The yard was silent, or as silent as South Florida ever gets.  The FEC doing an evening run on the tracks a mile off in the distance moaning as they approached then passed. 

The Neighbor's puttering in their garden getting ready for an oncoming birthday party.  Sawing and paint testing, the air was perfumed with pine bark mulch.

Chattering a yard over with someone discussing The Farm's Papayas and whether they were ready to be served on the table.  Fresh Papaya is a wonderful thing and if it were only one foot closer, some would be on my table as well.  None of that store bought stuff, this grows on a tree on our property line, just beyond the fence.

I settled on inspecting the irrigation lines.  The drip feeds need attention constantly.  Every single day one or another gets clogged as they dribble life giving rusty ground water into waiting roots.

Getting back to the orchid chain, I notice I am being watched.  Rack was still in his alternate universe.  This was a much smaller creature.  Descended from Dinosaurs, I spotted it.  A friendly Lizard.  Hiding in the shade under the leaf of my Phaleonopsis Orchid, I was being judged.  Threat Assessment.

I reached into my pocket, grabbed my camera, and got a picture.

The little blaggard moved.

I reset myself, took another picture.

The little rapscallion moved again.

"Annoying little creature, do sit still! I need to finish what I am on to."

It didn't care but I did get what I needed and let it on its own little way.  Rack had come back through the wormhole, sliding into the backyard at warp speed.  Gliding to a stop, feet widely spread out, he lay on the ground as if to say "Play! Now!  Resistance is futile".

Lizard, Guardian of the Rescue Pot

I went a bit nutty in the yard, but I didn't realize I was creating a habitat for lost dinosaurs.

The original use of the pots was to put what a snowbird thinks is appropriate for Florida.

Lemons.
Oranges.
Mangoes.
Bananas.
Hibiscus.

Lets see... the Lemons all died, the Orange got replanted in the front yard and is moping along.

The Banana tree is still there but it's so pot bound that the pot will split any day.  If it doesn't I may help it to.

(Did I say that in my outside voice?)

My Mango tree is happy, although it's a bit pot bound and in a stiff breeze it will topple over.  Since the winds come off the ocean rather steadily here, that's at least a twice weekly occurrence.

The Hibiscus likes the pots too much and overgrows everything.

I ended up pulling out all the dead plants and ended up with three pots.  I put milkweed in one for my pet Monarch Butterflies who eat them down to a stick.

The other two are my Rescue Pots.  Lisa's Pentas are in one, the other have a collection of cuttings.  Darwinian gardening rules states that what survives will get planted.

The pentas haven't stopped blooming.

The ruellias that I put in there in a clump are half-and-half alive.  Who knows about them.

They both have at least a bit of Podocarpus, Japanese Yew to the rest of us.

One is thick with it.  I figure some of it may indeed root.

I didn't count on them becoming wildlife reserves on a small scale.

Every time I go out there, my friendly lizards spot me.  They don't tend to run off, although there is a story with that.

Last weekend, I had to repot my Orchids.  Four pots, three of which had gotten too weak to survive.  Some were encrusted with mold and lichen, others with ferns.  It was hard to know where the orchids actually were.  One had no potting bark in them, and when I reached up to grab it, the pot fell apart in my hands.

They're basically popsicle sticks held together with wire in a square.

Two of them got a bed of Spanish Moss to hold the bark in and got rehung on the drip feed irrigation lines.

That third one.  I was walking back to the bar to repot my last one.  As I walk past the trees, I am pulling things out of them that didn't belong.  It was a cool morning, me flicking odd pieces of bark out at the pot chain, and I grab what I thought was a stick.

It wasn't.  It was a lizard's tail.  I pulled on it and out came a lizard from between the slats of the pot.  It didn't release its tail, but in shock, I did.  Since the concrete was warm, it trotted away quickly.

The things you find when you're out working in the yard!

So do think of the Lizards when you're out there.  They hide everywhere!

Don't Threaten Me or I Will Flash My Dewlap At You!

I can't say that these creatures were "here first".  Technically they were introduced and naturalized and pushed out some other lizards that were here before them.  It's a shame for those other lizards, but it is par for the course here in Overcast South Florida.

I've heard they are now being pushed out by the Curly Tails.  Curly Tailed Lizards which are twice as long and twice as thick and four times as assertive.

The Cuban Browns are entertaining to me.  Completely harmless, so much so that children would catch them and let them bite their earlobes to have Lizard Earrings for the few seconds that the scared creatures would hold on.

There you go little girl, have a chomp from my mighty toothless mouth as I wiggle my feet and flash my dewlap at you!  I am the fearless descendent of the great Dinosaurs and you shall respect me!

Not so much for my friend here.  I did my daily run around the backyard looking at my almost dead lemon tree in the pot line and pulling weeds from the mango tree.  Taking time to shamefully look at the banana tree that is so pot bound that the next time it falls over the pot may burst in relief and the tree will walk the two steps to the East saying "I'm Free! I can taste the sweet soil again after these horrible people kept me in prison!".

To which the Mango tree says "Try being me!  I'm over six foot tall and I fall over every time a shower comes through like a child's toy!".

We really do have to decide to create a small garden for these things.  Pots don't work.  You never get enough fruit, even though I was getting enough lemons for a while to make homemade lemon curd from them.  I'd have a chicken in the yard too if it weren't for that they're noisy and I'd get yelled at by code enforcement for having a farm in myback yard in the city!

Fresh Eggs anyone?  Maybe I need to move to Key West for that?  Conchs have all the fun!

Walking out into the yard is an experience.  You never know what you will scare off that is reptilian.  Most of what is back there is completely harmless, even the black racer snakes that keep the rodents away.  Live in harmony with nature and you will be better off for it. 

Stepping onto the Lanai, I have to look.   Rack generally will follow me out the door then go off and sniff the air.  If there is a storm within 10 miles, he'll hear it and try to herd me back inside.  I'm too deaf or just plain human to hear those rumbles that are off shore between us and the Bahamas.  But he does and doesn't like them at all.

At the right time of day, the lizards are on the pool deck catching the morning sun.  Cold blooded creatures need to warm up just like that cup of tea you have.  They'll run away in great herds of lizards like Raptors in a movie after prey.  More likely they're just off to the grass so they don't get trodden on by great size 11 sneakers.

Having inspected the pot line, the irrigation, and considering where to put the Hibiscus that is in the pot that now has gone taller than I am by a few inches with that one red flower at the top which will wilt by tomorrow morning, I return to my friend the brown lizard.   It hasn't moved.  It's still watching me.

Goodbye Lizard.  Catch some mosquitoes while you are there.  There are plenty for you.

Singing Birds and Vibrating Pockets

I stood near the pond this morning.  

Feet firmly planted on the ground, I had my morning meal.

Sharing a spoonful of oatmeal and peaches with my faithful sidekick, I watched as shadow and light painted its way across the pond.  Breezes hadn't started yet, but there were waves on the surface.  Dragonflies hovered in for a drink and disturbed the millpond stillness of the morning creating ripples that echoed their presence on the surface of the otherwise still water.

In the distance floated a small bird, also still, also hardly moving.   It kept a still eye pointed at me watching me in my morning repast.

The birds sang over top of the distant sounds.  Their chattering accompanying the tapestry of the scene, enhancing the beauty of the morning.

On the ground there were small lizards warming themselves, recharging for their day.  Soon they would leave their station in the sun, sliding down leaves of the pineapple plant, leaping to the ground, and going on their business of creating and losing territory and dining on choice bits of insect life.

The gentle breezes were almost still at this time of day.  There was just enough wind to make the magenta and pink blossoms of the paper thin bougainvillea nod their heads in acquaintance, accepting you into their beauty and their presence.

This was framed by the thick tropical foliage around the small pond, deep greens offset by the scent of jasmine coming from their almost zinc oxide whiteness capturing the sun of the early morning.

The hustle and bustle of the semi-urban life seemingly brushed away by the chattering of the song birds came rushing in with one motion.   I shifted to lean on my right leg when I noticed that there was a vibrating in my pocket.  Reaching in I found the old phone that was sending off an alarm, this was the cause of the singing birds, and the vibration was the alarm clock on the phone that I just couldn't bear to turn off.

Reverie broken, I readjusted my headphones to make sure that the noise canceling was turned on.  The amigos from Quintana Roo were next door with their blowers again, and I stepped away from the Kitchen window where my day dream was ended.  No longer standing by a tropical pond, I was instantly transported back to my house, in front of the kitchen sink, in the middle of 100 miles of human habitation.

But for a brief moment, all was peaceful, all was full of nature, and full of song birds and beauty.  I guess I really should cancel that alarm clock.

The Attack of the Monster Lizard of South Florida - Picture

Just when you thought it was safe to return to your kitchen, they have returned. 

The Monster Gecko Lizards will climb your glass.  They will eat pesky bugs like moths and termites.  They will look at you while you make tea and coffee. 

They are coming!

Of course they are coming.  Hurricane Barbara washed itself out over Mexico last week, and the remnants have been parked over top of Key West and spread out through South Florida since then.  All that rain has made for a great environment for strange creatures like gnats and mosquitoes to come out and make whoopie all over the place.   The birds are dining and so are the lizards.

Besides, these lizards are completely harmless.   There's a game among the children to catch a lizard and have them bite their earlobes to have lizard earrings.

Not exactly the nicest thing to do to these shy creatures, and besides, just what do you wear to match  lizard earrings?  Alligator Shoes?  Snakeskin wallet? 

When they come to visit the kitchen, I know my wood will be better off.   A nice meal of bugs and crawly things means less damage to the house.

Our Lizard Farm

Part of having a puppy, especially a shy or fearful one is getting them used to everything that life will throw at them.

In my case, while I have an almost blank slate, I also have a dog that is afraid of pretty much anything.  That is to say, at least he is afraid of anything that makes noise.

One step at a time, they say.  Divide and conquer, they say.  There's a big world out there, they say. 

So lets explore.

I did manage to get him outside after his panicking at the big evil scary sliding back door that made a racket on its tracks.  Once his nose is out the door, Rack seemed to take the yard in style.  It gave me an excuse to let him sniff around and do a little weeding.

This is South Florida after all.  Blink and your yard has new growth.  Blink again and the weeds are putting out a cheery carpet of white and yellow flowers, shamrocks with their lavender blooms, and plants that people in colder climates keep in their homes and offices.  

Yes, I have philodendron growing in my back yard as weeds, don't you?

Wandering around the yard, I was accompanied by my little black and white dog.  Picking up weeds as I go, pulling vines, and generally having little effect, I realized that I needed to get into the shed for the nippers.  The Bougainvillea was growing again after having been beaten back and it threatened to grow its tendrils into the spa.  Magenta flowers are beautiful, but you do need to get past that wall of blooms to get anywhere in the yard.

Opening the door to the shed, there was just enough noise to make Rack back off and assume his sitting position.  He does that when he's overwhelmed, whether he's in the back yard or in the middle of an intersection.  Definitely something to work on, at least he's not barking at whatever is scaring him.

We had taken Lettie's old crate out of the shed and given it to the animal themed thrift store.   It created a big hole that the detritus of life hadn't filled in yet, so I was able to step inside and see an area of the shed that was invisible before.

Meaning to clean the shed out but realizing that there are always more pressing things to do when you own a house, I noticed that there was a row of little pearls on my workbench.

Those pearls each contained a developing lizard.

Since I get so much entertainment watching these little creatures go about their reptilian lives, I left the row alone with a smile. 

Yes, I'm going to be a Lizard Daddy!  Congratulate us, it's a boy, and a boy, and a boy, and a girl, and a girl...  They will have their own house and call it Lizardvania, the home under the Sea Grape Tree.

It's all part of living in South Florida.  You live with wildlife, regardless of how you feel about it.  Blink and your gardens are overgrown.  Ok, My gardens are overgrown, Your gardens may not be.  You will have lizards, and black racer snakes, and visits from the Opossums and Racoons, and it's all normal.  You will get used to it.

Just so long as there aren't beady little eyes watching me in the spa from the utility easement at the back of the yard, I'm OK with it.  This is because when I'm in the spa I'm not dressed for guests!

The 6AM Gecko Hunt

We were out for a walk that morning.  The sun hadn't yet risen completely and the morning clouds were lit a brilliant red from below. 

I was standing at the foot of the drive looking at the spectacle when I began to be pulled toward the front door by Mrs Dog.  Half asleep, not having had the first of my coffee, I was surprised at her insistence.  Something was amiss and we had to get to that front porch and do it quickly.

By the time I had rounded the car and navigated past the planter, I saw a dark flash retreat as the lighting came up to full.  I wasn't quite sure what little critter was hiding in the door jamb but I had my suspicions.

Mrs Dog knew right off the bat, it was her old archenemy, the Gecko.

I pulled out my flashlight and focused the beam to the broadest setting.  That meant that instead of it being a pin spot, the equivalent of a 75 watt light bulb was spread broad so it wouldn't completely blind the creatures of the night.

Spotting the tail of the little pink lizard hanging over the top of the door, I knew that I would have to try to convince it to move or else there'd be another inhabitant of the living room today.

Stepping back to the garden, I found a leaf that had fallen from the screw palm and used it to tickle the Gecko.   It didn't work.   They're very shy creatures and they usually try to hide.  I've had them try to hide on my legs and head up into my shorts before so I do know what I'm talking about.

Thankfully they're more amusing than anything else.  No teeth so even if you do find a particularly cantankerous lizard, it's harmless.  I'm told little girls will get them to bite their earlobes sometimes to have Gecko Earrings, but I have never seen that first hand.

Without trying to harm this little pink creature, I knew that I would either have to be more aggressive with my Screw Palm Leaf Weapon, or just open the door and hope that when it's deciding to move, it's going to move out and not in.

Fifty Fifty Shot, right?

At this point things began to happen quickly.

The door opened slightly. 

The dog had never lost sight of where the creature was. 
She may be old, have dodgy kidneys, and a weak thyroid, but her eyes are perfect.

Hearing the bark was the first thing that told me that the Gecko had moved.  

Feeling it hit my forearm first, I began to recoil slightly, being startled.

The Gecko didn't like that and bounced onto the door.

Now, the dog was jumping at the door as the little translucent creature was running away.   Right into the door jamb.  This time it was behind the hinges.   It's little pink brain furiously looking for an escape from the insistent dog and the curious human, it ran to the highest hinge. 

I could have closed the door and been done with the predawn drama, but that would be needlessly cruel. Besides, these creatures give me an enormous amount of entertainment simply by their being around.

I bent down to unlatch the dog from her harness, and gestured for her to go indoors.   She did but that merely gave her a view of the gecko in the morning gloom.

BARK!

Shaddap Dog you'll wake the neighbors!

Wielding the almost forgotten Screw Palm leaf, I tickled the gecko again.  It had the common sense to run away from the leaf and around the door to the outside.  Blocking the dog who was trying to get a purchase on the floor and looking like Wile E Coyote, Super Genius, I quickly shut the door.

Drama averted, nobody harmed except the dog who finally collided with the door with a soft thump.

Time for Coffee everyone, nothing to see here, lets move on!

So, how did you start YOUR day?

Scorpions in the Garden?

I remember when I first visited Florida on my own, I was warned to shake out my shoes in the morning. 

You were told that they were rare but sometimes you can find a Scorpion in the house just like in that old article from the TV station.

I only ever saw a few of them, mostly on the first visit to Key West, and then they were dying as they floated into the skimmer of the swimming pool. 

Yes, Florida, a place named after Flowers by the Spanish has strange wildlife.  

We have flocks of Parrots that people have had escape.  I walk outside with the dog and can expect to hear noisy groups of Cherry Headed Amazons fly by.  I can whistle and call to Cockateils and they will call back.

Curly Tailed Lizards were here, and like the Iguanas, were frozen out of the trees on the last cold snap.  But they're back, and in my back yard as well.   They have an attitude too.  The little Geckos and Cuban Brown Anoles that entertain me with their dewlap that is a red and brown checkered flag will scatter if you get too close.  No teeth either so if they're threatened the worst you can get is a good, sound, gumming.

The Everglades have escaped Ball Pythons that are threatening native species because they are so prolific and aggressive.  Luckily they aren't in my yard, the Black Racers are though so I have to watch for those when I attack the brush with the weedeaters.

The Black Racers are very timid and will race away if they spot you so they're harmless unless cornered.  They are native, just like the Scorpions.

I had thought that we didn't have Scorpions here in Wilton Manors, but apparently it's only because I'm not looking for them.  I have spotted exactly one since I have moved here.  That was one day, one Scorpion, and it lived in the gap under the sidewalk near the shopping center.

Yes, they're here even if I'm not able to find them, and I don't particularly want to find them.  A lobster is one thing, they can pinch but won't sting.  A Scorpion will sting with the power of five bees, and I'm terrified of bees.  The rest of the critters, I'm fine with, but a beehive will send me running.

Never did like bees.  Nasty little...

I'm not completely sure why all the sudden Scorpions are being mentioned by people I know.  Maybe it's just the circle of friends I have.  I've been hearing folks tell me to watch for them and are wringing hands about maybe possibly getting stung.  Personally, I haven't seen one in over 3 years so I'm more amused than concerned.  But next time as I am outside enjoying the Florida Sun, and the Florida Florid Plants, I've got to look to make sure I'm not stepping on a Scorpion.  I hear they can get aggressive too. 

Just as long as they leave the dog alone.  They're welcome to those nasty looking toads that will poison things too... they come out when the rains hit but luckily they just stand there looking stupid.   You usually see those pounded into leather on the pavement by a passing Toyota.

I Am Lizard, King Of The Tennis Ball Mountain

After walking to the kitchen for an unscheduled snack, I found my picture of the day. I really didn't intend for today to be a picture but this was as good as any.

I was listening to Vivaldi's Four Seasons on the headphones after walking the trash out to the bin and found myself looking in the refrigerator.  After having a small handful of Moosemunch... no really, only 10 pieces.  Very small handful.  Honest!  Yes, they named it after me!  Who else?  (Smirk)...

I looked out my kitchen window and saw this lizard looking back at me.  The usual Cuban Browns and the proper pink Geckos that live in my yard are very shy and will run away, so I grabbed my camera not expecting the shot.  This being a Curly Tail, it stayed put.  They're noticeably more bold than the others.  It stayed there being King of the Hill while I got a picture through the window, opened the window, then got another shot. 

Walking over to the back door I laughed at myself silently thinking I may be able to convince it to stay put.

Nope, not that bold, that second shot wasn't going to happen, Mr DeMille was not going to get his close up.  Sure, I could use a digital SLR but they don't fit in my cargo pants... however if you have one around make sure you don't need it since I'll put it to use.

Begging for cameras aside, it dove into the bucket as soon as I was framed by the back door. 

In for a Penny, In for a Pound, I say!

Opening the door I walked over to the little bucket full of tennis balls and took them out one by one.  The balls are there so the dogs can play with them, although my own Lettie is too old to care now.  Taking them out one by one, there were around 20 left.  When I got to the last three, my little lizard was getting unhappy with me and decided that it was time to hide.

Scrabbling around the bottom of the bucket the little guy ran around circles until it literally flung itself out onto the bar.  

Sorry, no beer served at 10 in the morning!

It must have been disappointed in my lack of bartending skills as it did pushups on the bar while glaring at me then diving off into the Hibiscus on the deck.

Never a dull moment when you have to take the trash out!

Our Very Own Attack Gecko

Yes, we have an attack Gecko.

Some have attack Dogs.
Some have attack Cats.
I have seen attack Ducks and Swans.
My own Parrot will lunge at you if he doesn't like you.  I know that for a fact as half the time when I walk past the cage he's lunging at me for not giving him that piece of orange out of the morning oatmeal.

They remember, they really do.

Last night we had quite a lot of lizards on and in the house.   It started when a little adolescent Cuban Brown Lizard was seen crawling down from the ceiling to hide behind the mirror on the wall.   They get in by hiding in the crack in the front door where they can jump out and get a tasty meal in a Moth that is drawn to the light.

Moths.  Yum.  Tasty Critters!

So getting the patented Gecko Extraction Tool, we relocated the little thing out to the front garden where he'll live his days out hunting for critters.

Outdoors.

After putting away the High Tech Gecko Extraction Tool (TM), I went into the kitchen after being called.

Hey there's a big one out here!
A what?
Oh, a big Gecko on the window!  Bring your camera, this one is practically Prehistoric!

Hyperbole aside, yeah it was a big one.  About the length of your finger, and as you see quite pink.

I had left the kitchen light on when I was making dinner and the bugs are drawn to the light and warmth of the Lanai.  Since there was a lot of rain recently, we've had a bloom of bugs.  Many Mosquitoes being eaten by Dozens of Dragonflies, being hunted by gillions of Geckos.

Gillions is a word, right?

Seeing that I'm entertained way more than I should be, I got out of the big green chair, walked to the camera, pressed on and focused.  These Geckos are quite shy and I'm surprised that it put up with the fuss we were making.  But I did get the picture and realize that I really do need to clean those windows.

Great.  Dirty Windows and I'm sharing it with the world.   I guess it is true, I can laugh at myself.

Lizard Is My Co-Pilot - Picture

Lizard is my Co-Pilot
I shall not crash.

He helps me drive down green leafy streets.
He leads me besides still canals;
He restores my trip.
He leads me in the paths of travels
for his name is Lizard.

Even though I drive through the valley of the shadow of palms,
I fear only bad drivers,
For you are with me, your tail and your hunt, they comfort me.

Surely the cleanliness of your lizardry will follow me down the byways;
and you will dwell in my dashboard forever!


Enough of that!  I'm sure it will tick some fool off.

Apparently, my Jeep has been moved into.  I'm used to having these little things slip into my house.  They are never a problem, you can't get bit if there are no real teeth.   They are entertaining to watch, and beneficial since they eat all those insects that love to bite me.

This particular lizard is in my Jeep.  The Jeep is in front of the house, all the windows are closed.  It sits in my carport, and apparently I've given it shelter.  The little thing is on my back seat.  It rode with me the other day to a restaurant and back and is none the worse for wear.

Jeep Wrangler Soft Tops aren't exactly water tight.  Sure, you're shielded from the elements, but there are gaps in the roof where geckos and lizards can get in.  Hopefully my little riding partner is smart enough to get out of there when he has eaten all the insects that decided to move in.

Boy I hope there aren't any insects living in there...

They Thought It Would Be Safe On My Porch - Picture

Yesterday was Hurricane Irene.

As it marched its way through the Bahamas leaving destruction in its wake, it was more of a rain event here.  There were three distinct bands of weather that came through.

First the outer band came through right after I got back from the dog walk at 7AM.  That was when I noticed that my windowsill had this particular visitor.  I'm used to seeing Geckos and Lizards on the house, sometimes climbing the walls, sometimes climbing my leg outside when I'm gardening.  In fact, they're so common and so frequently climbing people's calves when they're gardening that a gecko on a leg is a common tattoo around here.

The second band came and stayed around Lunchtime.  In fact, the first was the bow shock that precedes a storm, whether it is a hurricane or just a vigorous front, the second band was the storm itself.  A few gusts and a lot of rain for a couple hours, we were lucky.

It lasted so long that when I took my breaks, I'd let the dog come with me onto the porch and I'd stare at it like a chicken in a barnyard.  While I remembered to keep my mouth closed so I didn't drown, I noticed that the house was covered in lizards and geckos.  In fact there were an inordinate amount of the little things all over the porch. 

Each time I'd step out, I'd herd them away simply by my presence, and my dog would help them on since one of her favorite things in life is to do just that, chase geckos.   They would return when I went back inside to my dry room, each in their own temporary territory, some on the window watching me, others on or behind the stones that are on the front porch.

Later in the afternoon, the last band came through.  It was that trailing bow shock that curved directly over the house.  The cloud was so dramatic that just before the skies opened up for one last blast I had to come out to see.  The lizards were still there, watching from my porch and waiting for me to go back in.

Any port in a storm, even a porch will do.

Maintenance Lizard and Guard Gecko Protect Us!

Deep in the jungles of South Florida, there exists a technological marvel.  This marvel is a wired telephone system.   We are graced with the ability to pick up a device, press a few buttons, and then speak with a person of our choosing.

This system requires constant upgrades and maintenance.   Many hundreds of miles of copper wire, electronic switches, and cabinets dot the landscape. 

These are all watched over by the little known Maintenance Lizard.   They take over the Day Shift and are replaced by their Night Shift partner, the Guard Gecko.

The Maintenance Lizard has full access to the technological marvel, caressing its workings with loving care, they help to make certain that no harm comes to the system.

At night, the Guard Gecko replaces the Maintenance Lizard, removing unwanted pests like the Inventory Insect and the dreaded Construction Centipede that gets into the works and can cause all sorts of havoc with the fragile infrastructure.  If found, the Guard Gecko will rid these pests with their great jaws and dispatch them with haste.

Here, our Maintenance Lizard takes a rare break and warns me off into the jungle from whence I came.

Work on, oh Maintenance Lizard, make South Florida safe for telecommunications for yet another day.

Oh Just Take The Shot Already!

I needed a break yesterday, and so did my Lettie.

Opening the door, I heard a distant rumble of the approaching thunderstorms to the North and stepped out onto the porch.

Living on my block, I have a constant patter of people walking past the house.  Some go off to the shops, others are returning.  I've always liked living close to shopping centers, it allows me some flexibility and entertainment.

Waving to the neighbor across the open lot, I told Lettie to go on and do her thing.  While I'm shifting from foot to foot,  I look down at the little cement and tile planter that made it from Pennsylvania to the front yard here.  We have never quite had any luck with the planter.  It's too small for most things, too hot for others.  As a gift a while back, M.E. DePalma of the park near the house had given me these three succulents that moped along for about a year and they're finally starting to take off.  The nice thing is that they don't really mind being baked in the Florida sun in that spot.  I like having the plant next to the front of the house and it's a nice low maintenance thing to have there. 

The warmth does draw critters though.  Before that, it had had some Marigolds that got turned into a salad for Snails one damp night.  Wake up and find the plants just gone.  That won't do.  Same with the Impatiens. 

I noticed the little Anole watching me as if to say, I'm keeping an eye on you.  As we went about our business I thought it could be an amusing little shot, why not.  Lettie darted back into the house, I plodded after and found the camera.  I think the little guy was content with my taking the picture because it didn't move.  Sharing the yard with wildlife like those lizards that flip their dewlap at you through the living room glass and walking around the neighborhood through clouds of butterflies can be a nice experience.

Now if I could only rid us of those blasted gnats and mosquitoes!

The Predawn Hunt in South Florida

It is early, before the sun has risen.

The hunter peels the covers off the bed and places feet on the floor.  Reaching down, just as his faithful companion approaches, he places socks on his feet.

It is inky dark in the chamber, light sneaks in through the trees and casts a sodium orange glow on the walls.

After paying attention to the dog in the room, our hunter pads across the tiles to the bathroom.

Closing the door, he settles in. 

Seated he looks over at the switch and absentmindedly bathes the room in light with a swipe of the hand. 

It is time to take account of the surroundings.   Beige tile floor and fur from the shedding dog that shares the small home.  An almost white cotton bath mat.   Looking up at the pine slats on the wall, the eyes catch the screen in the window.   The glass behind is frosted and on the screen is a plastic toy lizard.  The toy is an homage to the creatures that live beyond in the jungle.

There is a flash of movement.

Something out of the corner of the eye and down. 

Searching the brown tile walls, and down into the beige tub there is nothing.

Finally out of the corner a flash of movement.  Pink and Beige with tan accents, the lizard moves.   Trying to climb out, this particular lizard, a gecko was trapped.

The hunter says in an Australian Accent:  "Oi look at you!  You're BEAUTIFUL aren't you? My Friend we have to put you where you belong!".

Stepping into the tub with his prey, our hunter attempts to herd the creature into his strong hands.  After chasing the elusive lizard, his realization in the morning fog is that this isn't going to work.  His rewards so far are one gecko, a wriggling separate gecko tail, and a slightly bemused look.

You, my beauty shall be mine.

Padding out to the other bedroom we get to see the patented Gecko Extraction Tool (TM).   This is a functional device that works well on small lizards, geckos and other things like flying and crawling insects.   It is a 18 inch tall cylinder that is well fit to the hand.   Nearly clear, and soft plastic the object of the hunt is simple... Catch your prey alive so that it may be released freely to dine on the insects that are outside. 

This is a mission of mercy, this creature would starve if left in the house.

Waiting for the little creature to calm down, our hero closes in on the prey.  Getting close to the gecko with the Extraction Tool, he drops the open end of the cylinder over and around the gecko.  His prey is trapped, safely within.

Sliding a piece of paper under the cylinder's edge and moving the lizard onto the paper, he is able to completely contain the lizard within a small room of clear plastic.

It is now that our hunter, the Jagermeister of Lizards, the Bwana of Geckos walks to the front door and releases the creature into the screw palms and the leafy ferns of the South Florida Jungle, minus its tail.

Job Well Done.

Hunting Termites with a Lava Lamp

I couldn't sleep.

Up at 2, then again at 4, I decided at 5AM it was pointless for me to lay in bed any longer.

I got up, walked through the house turning on lights in the kitchen and went back to the other side of the house. 

Getting Mrs Dog ready for her walk, I went out leaving the kitchen light on, forgetfully. 

We had our lap of the shops and came home.  While she was off doing her thing I was standing in the kitchen making coffee.  I noticed the usual host of bugs out banging their senseless heads against the glass redundantly.  Thinking not too much more of it, I finished my breakfast, my coffee, turned off the overhead lights, and turned on the Lava Lamp in the kitchen.

I can sit in the big green recliner on the back wall of the Living Room and go about my business while having a view into the kitchen.  The Lava Lamp was a thing of ambience, it is calming to watch red waxy blobs glow and float up and down the amber fluid.  Even from a distance, it can be calming and beautiful.

By the time I was ready to have more coffee, the sun had not risen, it was still gloomy outside, and the back yard was lit only by the two LED solar lamps. 

Walking back into the kitchen, I snapped on the burner under the tea kettle and filled the coffee pot with four scoops of grounds. 

At this time I was standing in front of the kitchen sink looking outside at the back yard when I noticed what was going on in detail.

The senseless bugs banging against the windows were termites.  There were a few mosquitoes mixed in with the more frequent moth, but the majority of that insect cloud were termites.   Apparently they were swarming right outside of my window.  The termites are a constant problem in South Florida and are controlled by many applications of chemicals, tenting your house and turning it into a Circus Tent of Death with Vikane gas.

There are also natural methods.   Much slower and gentle, we have my friends the Geckos.

It turns out I have a little circle of life out back.  The Geckos have decided that my lit window is a great place to hunt.   Since I enjoy watching the little pale creatures climb, I try to create a habitat for them where ever possible.   There are a lot of places for them to hide, since I'm not exactly the best at keeping the yard free of oddball items, and the area under the lanai is sheltered.  It is onto this that the kitchen "bar window" opens.

The Geckos are drawn by the bounty of food that we have inadvertently created.  All those insects are food for the nocturnal Geckos and the glow of the Lava Lamp helps keep them coming.

Since I'm entertained by Geckos and by Lava Lamp alike, I now have an excuse for what some might consider Eccentricity.  I have pet Geckos outside and they can catch what the Lava Lamp brings them.

It's a win-win situation.  I even get to have that Lava Lamp on from Dusk to Dawn.  How about that?  An excuse to burn a night light.  I never knew...

Gecko Background Picture

I was going through my pictures on the camera and spotted the thumbnail of what looked like trash on my pavement in the back yard.

It's still early enough in the day that I questioned my sanity so I viewed the shot in Irfan View and realized I was viewing the rare Micro Godzilla. 

Yes, Micro Godzilla, terror of the Sea Grape Leaves and St Augustine Grass, they will view you with disdain and threaten you with their fearsome red and yellow Dewlap of Doom. 

You never know where you will find these terrifying beings here in South Florida.   They live everywhere, eat insects, and sometimes climb up your leg and into your shorts.  While doing that you will submit to the tickle of death as it climbs your leg with tiny Micro Godzilla feet.  Why, I even had one crawl up my legs and land up in my crotch.  Luckily my yard is secluded and the clothes came off... fast.

The reality is that they are completely harmless, completely beneficial, and are actually entertaining in their bluster.   I've stood inside the house, behind the window and screens, and watched one as it warned me off with its little dewlap while it stood on the palm tree just outside.  Comical little beasts.

I was amused by the picture of the gecko, anole actually, staring at my right boot while watching me, so I simply cropped the picture.  The original of this has a lot of trash in it like a broken pool skimmer and my feet, but when I cropped this down to the 1200x800 that fits my current laptop perfectly, this is what I got - shrunken down for the web that is.

Predawn Gecko - Picture

No, you're not looking at Godzilla.
No, you're not looking at an upside down Gator.

You are looking at a critter that fascinates me.

Yes, the gecko.

They're shy little things that we tend to see in odd places here.  The ones in the daytime are Anoles, not geckos, but for me, they're really the same thing since they tend to be in the same places.  Upside down on the ceilings or glued to my calf because I scared it, they are common here.  Anoles in the day, Geckos at night to this casual observer.

One morning, very early, I heard a noise outside.  Walking to the front door, I stepped out onto the front porch, looked up at the light, and there was this little critter trying not to be seen.   I went back into the house quietly, grabbed my camera, and got this picture.

My best guess is that this is a "Common House Gecko" which is not actually a native to South Florida, but introduced from other warm climate areas.  Since they need warm climates, I'm amused by the story I have heard about Geckos in New York.  The story goes that in order to control cockroaches in high rise condos and apartment buildings, people have set these Geckos out into them.  The Geckos hunt the cockroaches and keep things down to a dull roar.

Their eggs are a common sight in my shed.  They're the size of a Pie Weight, and since the shed is shelter and warmer than outside, the incubation is a safe place for them.

I just have to remember that these critters are out in my shed when I go to grab the tools to do some work around the property.  I've had Geckos and Anoles both drop from the rafters onto me with a start.

The other place I have to watch for them is in the Jeep.  My Jeep is a 2002, so the roof on it is starting to get old.  The threads that hold it together have begun to degrade due to the UV light here, and there's one seam that has popped open.  You would not notice it, but the Geckos have.

Yes, I have a Gecko RV.  A Caravan for Geckos.  I've even spotted the little guys while driving.  I guess they figured that the sand filled Gecko that I keep on the dash of the Jeep to hold things down was a sign that they could consider it safe.

At least for now, little guys... at least for now.