"You've got to get out and pray to the sky to appreciate the sunshine; otherwise you're just a lizard standing there with the sun shining on you." ~ Ken Kesey

We are beginning to wind down our time here in Stuart. Most of our "snowbird" friends have flown back north. Happily, I still have a hearty number good friends who are still around! Bruce and I are spending time however, doing the little tasks that need to be done before we head home. Eating what remains in the refrigerator is one of those tasks. I did a good fridge cleaning the other day, and bagged things that needed to head out to the trash. On my way to the dumpster, I rounded the bend outside of our door and shrieked as a huge lizard (in my mind at that moment, it was several feet long) ran right in front of my toes. In reality, it was about a foot from nose to tip-of-tail.

We see geckos all the time, and occasionally iguanas at a distance - sunning themselves along a bank. I have not seen, up until this point, a lizard as large as this so close - at my toes close - living outside my front door close. I can't say that I am afraid of them, but I was seriously startled. 

Anyhow, as I made my return trip from the dumpster, I could see that it had parked itself near our car. I sneaked in to grab my camera, and sneaked back out again. He (she) played hide-and-seek around and under the car for some time, always tempted back out from underneath to the warm blacktop (it was an unseasonably cool day).

So - it was fun! A little wildlife at my front door. Now, I just don't want to run into him at night!