Since we've moved to this house, one of John's favorite activities has been catching lizards. He's pretty adept at catching baby lizards by the tail but the big ones always elude him. So he sets traps. I'm always coming across lizard traps--cardboard boxes with cardboard ramps and rotting fruit for bait (to attract the the flies lizards eat). Sometimes there are pulleys and buckets involved. Recently I became pretty irate when I discovered John had emptied the entire big blue recycling can to make lizard traps. The yard was littered with cereal boxes, shoe boxes and tin cans. In a desperate search for boxes John took the box of dryer sheets from the laundry room--still full of perfectly good dryer sheets--for a lizard trap. All of this work for 16 months and nothing to show for it until now.
When I first saw John holding this creature by the tail it was so big and meaty I thought he had caught a mouse.
It was a beauty. The lizard had a pretty blue chin and belly.
John spent a half hour walking around with the lizard on his shirt. He spent the next half hour designing and building improvements on the lizard's home (the bucket he was found in). He made shade and hung a banana peel from the roof. Apparently the lizard didn't appreciate John's efforts. At his first chance--as soon as the boy with the
pterodactyl shirt--turned his back, the lizard made his escape.
When I first saw John holding this creature by the tail it was so big and meaty I thought he had caught a mouse.
It was a beauty. The lizard had a pretty blue chin and belly.
John spent a half hour walking around with the lizard on his shirt. He spent the next half hour designing and building improvements on the lizard's home (the bucket he was found in). He made shade and hung a banana peel from the roof. Apparently the lizard didn't appreciate John's efforts. At his first chance--as soon as the boy with the pterodactyl shirt--turned his back, the lizard made his escape.
8 comments:
Congratulations John!
You are amazing. I remember you and Will hiding behind a tree holding a string leading to a lizard trap. This blue belly lizard is a beauty! Since he is probably a grandpa lizard, thank you for giving him shade and a banana because I know grandpas love shade and bananas.
I love you and miss you,
Grandpa Ken
PS Great blog Ruth!
What a beauty! Growing up in Idaho my brother caught lizards, but they were all brown and desert-y looking. I never caught my own, but I liked holding the ones he caught.
Way to go John! Even if it is at the cost of your mother's sanity. :) Way to be patient and persistent!
We MUST get John and my boys together. As soon as possible.
Jacob says, I kinda like to catch lizards too. There aren't that many around our house, so I catch grasshoppers and praying mantises.
Good things come to those who wait…and split the second they are no longer looking...
Wow, he's sure ingenious!
I showed the kids this post and Jof is staring out the window asking me questions about how to get lizards to migrate into our backyard. Give John a high five from Sage. She's jealous too.
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