Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Scribbles and Scrambles - Pat's Problem Pet

Lest you think that Pat only has problem with fowl, allow me to reassure you. That is untrue. Pat has encountered peril and pet issues with cold-blooded pets also.

My brother owned a water dragon. This little creature is a cute lizard, if there is such a thing. One of the cutest things about the lizard is that it can run on it's hind legs. This lizard is also known as a basilisk lizard and Jesus Christ lizard because of their ability to run across water.

I witnessed the speedy hind-leg lizard sprinting once and there was no water to run across, just some children it desired to escape. Most of the time, Tyrone, the lizard hung out on a branch in it's sweet custom cage with it's paintpan swimming pool. He'd eat various tasty bugs, move an eye on occasion and mostly digest.

Because Tyrone was such a laid back kind of a guy, he had free access. The home was other pet free, which meant no predators and honestly, the lizard rarely left the branch. Except during egg laying season. Yep, Tyrone or maybe Tyrecia ,was a female water dragon.

Pat had trouble waking up one morning. He'd showered and gotten dressed in his shorts and t-shirt, ready for a day working around the homestead. But he'd made the mistake of sitting on the side of the bed and then went ahead and laid down. As he dozed and dreamed about getting up and getting on with it, he hadn't a clue that Tyrone wandered the upstairs, looking for a place to lay an egg.

Unfortunately, Tyrone found a branch of an unusual sort in my parent's bedroom. A hairy tree with a really funky root system. I've mentioned Pat's killer knee reflexes, right?

Tyrone came through unscathed (put the phone down. PETA does not need to be notified). Oh, Tyrone probably suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Just because a lizard can run across water doesn't mean it likes to fly.

Pat lived to tell about it, too. No blood was drawn, just a simple failure to communicate.

Tyrone found a place to lay her egg, under a really nice hairless branch next to a lovely blue plastic paint pan pool.