Lancelot's properties page

Sorry, I've been redesigning my webpages and couldn't resist using that term...

I just fed four crickets to Lancelot. FOUR! In a row!! And I'll tell ya, he might be hunting, but he's not exactly exercising. I mean, yes, it takes some skill to actually catch a cricket in one's mouth and gobble it up whilst looking happy. But the energy required to do all this is nothing compared to what a lion might do, running all over, chasing its prey. Oh no. This lizard doesn't do that! He just sits there, letting the bugs run all over the place, until one of them comes right up to him to say hi. Then he'll lunge at it. The most I've seen him move for food is about six inches. And he's currently looking around as if he's still hungry! I don't dare release any more crickets in there in case he's one of those piggy lizards. Getting fat can't be good for a green anole, right?

Anyway, in the not-quite-two-weeks since I've had him, I've learned a LOT. These are just some of the things I've observed:

1. Patience is top priority with my little fella.
2. Man-handling is very much frowned upon, even gentle man-handling.
3. Lancelot want to feel like he's in control.
4. Green anoles blend in with their surroundings VERY easily. Even on black mesh.
5. Green anoles, despite their quiet, slow nature, can jump pretty damned quick with little or no prompting.
6. Crickets are food of choice over mealworms. Apparently it's because they move fast and seem more of a challenge or something.
7. Mealworms need to be refrigerated!! Yes, they'll eventually turn into beetles!! I didn't know that, either. Apparently the cold slows down the process and extends "shelf" life, haha, get it, they're food, oh never mind...
8. Cooler is better for Lancie. He seems to really hate temps above 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
9. The waterfall I put in there for him is actually rather soothing. However, whilst watching TV I have to frequently remind myself that I did NOT leave the water running in the kitchen. Also, my bathroom trips have increased somewhat... not sure why...
10. Lancie turns bright green when he appears to be happy. Or at least curious, interested, and/or hunting. He also tends to turn this colour when he's sleeping. Thus far brown seems to be a less desirable colour, although pet shop people and the internet say otherwise. They could be right for all I know. Regardless, there are many shades of brown which Lancelot has exhibited: mottled, which thus far has only appeared when I've personally spooked Lancie; nearly solid barkish colour, which seems to be temperature- and/or loneliness-related; and then the inbetweens, which seem to be too difficult to separate for a good idea on what each might mean. Then there's the mottled brown head with brown line down the back, which usually begins the whole turning-brown(ish) process. Sometimes I can figure out what's wrong before it goes all the way, and sometimes I can't. Sometimes it goes green again on its own.

Green anoles are very shy, territorial, bug-loving critters that require a LOT of patience. They're not cheap to get started, either. At least, not if you read up on them and take proper care of them. Thus far I've spent a little over $200 on this dude. This includes a reptarium, waterfall, fake plants, humidifier (which thus far I've yet to need to install, it must be humid in the house this year), thermometer/hygrometer, uva/uvb light, shade for it, and at some point I need to get a heat lamp for him. The bugs aren't terribly expensive, but are definitely costing more than gerbil food. I think I really could have gotten away with using the 10-gallon aquarium I had but he seems soooo much happier in this thing and the waterfall fits in there, which provides running water for him as well as aesthetic beauty.

What are the rewards of my efforts? A mesmerizing, delicate little green thing that occasionally moves. Eyes that follow me around the room, observing. And on occasion, he'll even come and sit on me. So worth the effort on my part. It's even worth the patience, believe it or not! And that's saying a lot coming from me!!

Peter's baaaaaaack

Peter Cetera is back with a new Christmas Album. As if he'd ever truly left. Haha. He's a permanent fixture on my internal auditorium's walls. There's no shaking him loose even if I wanted to.

Anyway, life's been interesting lately, and so it's fitting that Peter should be releasing another album. I've got so much to say here tonight before bed!!

First, because it's most important to me right now, is news about the lizard that is currently boarding in my house. His name is Lancelot. I bought him at a RenFaire that I attended with like 14 other people or so. We all went down in three or four vehicles, stayed overnight at someone's house, attended the RenFaire, came back, and vóìlá, here I am with a lizard named Lancelot. The guy at the Faire just grabbed my hand and plopped a Green Anole (aka baby dragon to that guy) in my hand. Half and hour with him and I was in love. Tried to buy the little critter then and there and they told me no, because that particular feller was THEIRS. Disgusted with their tactics, I left. An hour later I was back. How surprising. After some time, I figured out which one I wanted to take home with me, and it turned out to be little Lancie.

Anyway, I could write a book on him and I've only had him a week. But time is precious to me right now, so I'm going to continue with the rest of the goings-ons.

Number two. I fell in and out of love and was rather badly burnt - but I think I'm healing nicely. Very close friend and I had been dancing around the subject for quite some time over the last couple months. Then just as I'm finally getting up my nerve to tell him how I'm feeling (since I'd finally figured out what I was feeling myself), I'm introduced to a friend of his. Without going into details, it turns out that he finds out she's digging him just as he finds out I'm into him as well, and after a couple weeks I finally managed to figure out that he's more into her than he is me. Thus I got through another week of adapting to the concept that wow, it's possible for someone I like to actually like someone else more than me. Get OVER myself, now... LOL I'm currently praying that the friendship is salvageable. Ultimately I think it now depends on him, because I'm over the whole thing for the most part. Yes, I still hurt, but there were so many fun times in our past. I'm not willing to simply give up on the possibility that he and I can continue our friendship just yet. Also, reminded of the song Billy Joel did, "A Matter Of Trust." See, this guy and I have a great deal of trust between us, at least, I /think/ we do considering the high number of subjects we've discussed and in the detail they've been discussed in. (Pretty decent in a more-than-friends relationship, true, but that's obviously moot point now.) The lyrics offer these thoughts: "I've lived long enough to have learned the closer you get to the fire, the more you get burned" and "It's hard when you're always afraid; you just recover when another belief is betrayed. So break my heart if you must, it's a matter of trust. You can't go the distance with too much resistance" and "This time you've got nothing to lose, you can take it you can leave it whatever you choose, I won't hold back anything and I'll walk away a fool or a king." All very good words for me to be hearing! I've been thinking these things anyway, but hearing them helps cement their concepts in my brain. I /have/ lived long enough to know that the more you love, the more risk you're taking. I know that every time I begin thinking something serious about someone, my thoughts betray me and turn out to be wrong. Not just in love issues, either, but pretty much anything so important. I'm glad I allowed my heart to be broken this time, though, because it made me realize how capable of love I can be. I did not know that about myself before, so it tells me that I'm growing. A lot. You can't go the distance if you're too afraid of being hurt. I didn't hold back anything and I walked away the fool, but I'd rather be the fool than neither "fool or a king." I basically laid things out on the table and allowed him to choose, he had nothing to lose, neither did I, really...

Anyway, we'll see what the future holds regarding our friendship. In the meantime, I'm not ruling out the possibility that perchance I might fall for someone again - deeper, and maybe they'll be as into me as I am them. That would be awesome. Not holding my breath, but not exhaling too much, either. Still, hope stirs from within. Doh. I feel a poem coming on. Best be heading on to...

Number three. Mom moved away a couple weeks ago, too. Not sure how I feel about that. I'm relieved in a way, because her and I are way too close and it's good to grow away from her and vice-versa. But I also miss her. A lot. She's trying to adapt herself, and I think I'm doing all right with it for my part, too.

Number four. My best friend is also moving away soon. Times like these I feel like everyone is deserting me. I know that's silly! Yet, I can't help but feel like everyone I care about is leaving me behind. It took me years to establish two close friendships and now one is moving and the other is in love with someone else, potentially threatening /our/ relationship, even if it's nothing beyond what we already had.

Number five. Oh yeah, and did I mention that Peter is releasing a Christmas album this year? lol!

Anyway, I'm off to bed soon. Think I might be doing a poem first, though... ~nvnohi