6 May 2004 ... Lizard!

Yes! I saved a lizard yesterday! Wow, that was really cool!

I was at work... um I was at the job, where there is no work to do... I was just standing around, waiting for something to happen, okay?!

A guy walks by in the hallway and a dark brown lizard running away from him, darts into my room. I shout to get my partner's attention. (yeah, L has a hearing problem, but shouting is not required... I'm just excited.) (laughs.)

I tell L a lizard just ran in and he's very lost and should be outside. And she says we should catch him. Yes! Good Idea!

She blocks the door and I get on the floor, looking under the sign making machines. Yep, I see the little fellow, right up against the wall and moving towards the back of the room.

L moves the machines for me and I jump behind them. I spot the lizard and make a go at him. He runs right towards me and hides under me! It's a pretty good strategy, since I'm trying not to step on him during my second attempt to grab him and he just runs back towards the door.

L and I head that way as well. While the lizard is under the machine next to the door, I block off his wall passage way. A crowd of humans has gathered at the door to watch. And with me behind him, little lizard runs right into the middle of the crowd... and everybody is just standing there, looking: lizard looks at the people, people look at the lizard.

People are in my way so I say, "Hey, don't just stand there! Somebody grab him." Yep, squeamish humans get out of the way. I'm down on the floor again.

I was trying to figure out how to grab him... tail could fall off, right? and everything else is so very delicate looking. I really didn't want to hurt him.

I attempted to just scoop him up, and trap him inside my cupped hands. uh huh. jeers from the useless crowd, "You're going to have to be faster than that." Thanks.

Realized I'd have to hang on to something, so I aimed for the shoulders with my right hand and I scooped with my left hand... and Yay, Got him, not by the shoulders but by the base of his tail, and he's sitting in my left hand. His claws scrabble at me, but he's so small he doesn't even leave a scratch.

One of the guys in the crowd wants the lizard. He comes toward me like he actually expects me to hand the lizard over. "No!" I say as I walk past everyone. "He's going outside, where he belongs!" Jerk looks disappointed and says, "The cats would have had fun with him." GRRRRR.

I head outside, L opens the door for me and tells me to take the lizard out to the open lot across the parking lot. Yes.

I walk a couple feet into the desert and kneel down in the shade of a scrub bush. Put my open hand on the ground and let go of the lizard's tail. He just sits there on my palm for a second.

He is so cute. Dark brown, his body is a good three inches long and his tail is just that as well. His toes are long and curved and even his fingers have a bit of length to them. Are those round things on his head his ears?

He scampers off, at last. But now I wish I had a better look at him before he left. I don't know much about lizards, and I've been trying to identify what kind of lizard he is, but not having any luck.

Well, anyway. I'm glad he let me catch him and I'm glad he now has his freedom. That's what's important to me. I don't want _anyone_ taking a wild creature and putting him into a cage... especially ignorant humans who have no clue as to proper care.

You just can't do that. It's wrong.