A small lizard has taken up residence on my wall, below the window. As "luck" would it have, right over my yet-to-be-unpacked suitcase. (I know I should have unpacked, but give a girl a break. I also figured if I played my cards right I could continue wearing things from it and would have less to unpack when I finally got around to it.)
I am not scared of lizards, but I sure don't want one in my room. Oh, I know there probably have been others, but I didn't know they were there. I saw this one. I decide that I would just catch it and let it go...Because I am a peaceful, don't kill it, kinda of girl...unless we are talking about a juicy steak and then I have no problem with killing things.
Before I can head to the kitchen to grab a cup, the small...most likely baby...lizard falls off the wall into, you guessed it, my suitcase. No problem, he/she is on top and I make a dash to the kitchen because there is no way I am touching this thing.
I return to scene of the crime to find the lizard gone. I am a smart girl and figure he/she is still in there. (Oh and did I mention that I am still on the phone with my dad who keeps talking about the football game he is at?) I begin removing articles of clothing when I spot him/her. I am ready with the cup and make my first attempt at catching him/her. I miss.
At this point I decide that I need both hands and dismiss my dad.
More articles of clothing come out of my bag. When I grab my khaki capris, the lizard flies across the room. He/She runs. I run. Now armed with a cup and a piece of mail, I am more determined than ever to capture and release.
The sneaky thing runs into a corner and behind my guitar. I manage to get him/her out, and then it darts into the bathroom. But ever the successful hunter, I am not far behind. Crawling on my knees, making attempt after attempt of catching this guy under the cup...Finally he/she hits the tile and with one swoop of the cup...he/she is trapped.
One moment of glory which is quickly followed by dismay and horror. I pick up one side to ensure that this little stow away is inside, when he/she makes another dash. Words can't even begin to describe what happened next. A picture can only tell the rest of the story.
There was no release...only a flush.
1 comment:
hey, you live in Florida, which my husband calls a 'reclaimed swamp'! funny scenario you detailed though.
i just had a similar one. we brought in all our patio plants in prep for tropical storm Fay, and since this gal was all over the state, we left them indoors for a few days just to be sure we wouldn't have to drag them out and then back in again. of course, lizards live in plants for whatever reasons and i was suddenly seeing them in my family room, kitchen, bedroom, bath ... in other words, all over the place. i am not quite as merciful as you. being the Florida native that i am, i know they will regrow their tails if they lose them. since most people grab them by the tail, they usually get away very quickly and hide from you. i managed to let a few regain freedom by opening the sliding glass door for a couple of hours and they found their way outside. a couple went the way of the flush method, and with just a tissue i managed to capture a couple of lizards without crushing them and put them back outside. i am not afraid of them either, but i don't want one crawling over me in the middle of the night! such is life in the swamp land!
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