It was a sad day yesterday . . .

I've felt a little overwhelmed and a lot behind these days,
so after my bible study, rather than go to my metals class I decided to go back to the nursery.
Not the commercial one, but back to Maas, and acres of paradise where I can just get lost in thought, or rather no thought at all, just nature.

We have been having some pretty mighty wind these days, which makes it pretty difficult to photograph flowers, but I tried, until frustration got the better of me. So I thought I would go see if my little green frog friends were still around, and yes they were. But, I got sidetracked by something else, that was also green.

Meet my little green friend, Akecheta, which means "fighter" in Sioux....

I first spotted him, yes it is a male, sunning himself just a few feet from me on the white gravel rocks on the ground. So, I got down on the ground, and let me tell ya those rocks do not feel good on ones knees, especially without much cartilage left in them. I really wanted a ground perspective of him sunning himself. I was pretty proud of myself and my stealth mode as he stayed, but unfortunately my knees couldn't take it and I had to get up (my really bad knee is swollen today, I never learn). But something just didn't seem right, and as an adult green anole he was just a little too open to letting me get that close. There was a stick nearby, so I used that, not that I'm afraid of picking him up of course, but it was just easier and I coaxed him up on to it. Yep, I knew something was wrong at that moment. A healthy adult male would have had nothing to do with that stick, and I then was able to transfer him to my hand.

Now that is the face of a lizard who doesn't feel well . . . he just wanted to close his eyes and rest.

So I walked around, probably for the next hour, with him in one hand and my camera in the other, trying to takes pictures of things that moved, tricky I tell ya!

And even not feeling well, he still seemed aware of his surroundings every now and then. They will turn brown when stressed, but also if another male is in the area in which they will also raise the ridge on their back and get a dark black spot behind their eyes. But...I noticed one spot that didn't turn brown, and do you notice the lumps? Hmmm...I didn't have a good feeling about this.

He eventually turned back to green again and back to resting.

I continued to walk around with this lizard on my hand...not one person noticed? I came across the bottlebrush tree, and there are bees everywhere! Note to self, don't wear a shirt with flowers next to this tree...

Check out his foot, and those scales, so amazing

I just couldn't leave him there not feeling well and all, and I have been known to make a few lizards feel better. The nursery just happened to have a small box with a lid so I could transport him safely in the car. When I got home I took him out so he could continue to warm himself in the warmth of my hands and the sun. But it was getting really windy, and the temp was falling and he was cold...so, yes I brought him into the house. He was on my forearm, with his back legs completely outstretched (not normal) as I positioned my arm under a spot light from the overhead light fixture for more warmth. What I was about to witness next was heartbreaking . . .and...well, horrifying!! (No worries, I have spared you all any photographs showing what I'm about to tell you, and only give enough information to understand what happened next, but the thought is unsettling....you've been warned)

Remember that strange spot I mentioned earlier? Every now and again I thought I could see something...moving? By this time, he was taking really shallow breaths, sometimes he would take a big one and then not again for what seemed like a long time. And sometimes he would flinch, and I felt helpless. Then the small  movement became very noticeable, and the one lump became many somethings moving around and I couldn't believe my eyes...and not sure how else to say this (and sparing all the gross details) but to say they were trying to make their way out. I was beside myself, in tears, and he was clearly suffering. So I called the animal ER hospital to find out if there was a humane way I could end his suffering...they said I could bring him in and they would euthanize him for free. And for that, I was so grateful!!

When I got home, I did some research and found that the Sarcophagid fly uses, (for some reason) mostly males, as a host. And as wondrous as nature is, it's also very strange and quite mind boggling. I think I learned more than I wanted to know.

The theme for Photo Art Friday is vintage. I wasn't really sure what I wanted to share for that today, until I was looking back to some photos I took last month on my way home from class one day. I actually did the u-turn thing to go back and photograph these cows. I'm glad I did, they make for a good vintage subject. I used two textures, the first I forgot to write down, but the second one is one of my favorites of Bonnie's, vintage craquelure.

So ironic, that I went to the nursery for a little inspiration, and would end up at the animal hospital. It's not the first time I've tried to rescue wildlife and I'm pretty sure it won't be the last. I should have a bumper sticker that says this vehicle makes occasional and random stops for wildlife. I've rescued birds and taken them to rehabilitators, stopped in the middle of the road to rescue turtles, stopped traffic for a snake who had been harassed by a crow and went into defense mode and couldn't make it the rest of the way across the street, and for baby Killdeer birds that couldn't follow mom up the curb and waited for an hour for her to come back for one of them. It's just who I am.....

Love, Kim
XO

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