Monday, April 13, 2015

parley view parsnip. . . what is that !

Well Tucson's spring is springing.
This is the very short time of great activity before the hot summer months.
Summer is coming. Oh My !
The plants are blooming like crazy, birds, animals and critters 
are all chasing each other all around my yard.
It is the fluffy season, I can hear the giggling and happy time abound.
One morning I was looking out my studio window and I saw a rock moving towards me.
Yes, I know my eyes are bad but I know a Gila Monster when I see one. 
..............
 A long stick like rock in the middle of the photo
.
 A little closer.
.
 Oh yes, here he is.
My little cutie pie.
Come to momma !

 But he went into the shadows instead.
.
 Going to hide, look for food or nap under the tree.
.
Don't you just love his beautiful markings ?
.
The Gila Monster is the largest lizard about 22 inches long,
and the only venomous lizard in the United States.
They are well suited to live in the harsh Arizona-Sonora Desert environment,
by spending most of their life underground. Only coming out for the 3 months 
of spring before the hot summer months. They eat copious amounts of food, 
storing food in their body and tail. I adore their very fat fat fat tails.
They are solitary animals but have communal areas in spring.
They are black with pink to orange, reticulated (looked up big word) markings.
I love their bumpy skin (like beading) markings and the little black faces.

They only live in a one square mile and are very solitary. 
I had a family living on my west side of the house. Ethel, Fred and little Ricky.
One spring morning a few years ago I opened my front door and there was little Ricky looking up at me with his mouth open showing his teeth and doing his little hiss growl wop wop. He was so cute but so poisonous. So I closed the door really fast and grabbed my camera. Of course he was gone. I went looking for him but I couldn't find him.
I haven't seen any of them for 2 years now until today. I have missed them.
...........
Here is Ethel or Fred from a few years ago.
So beautiful.
When they are babies they look exactly like their parents only smaller.
.

 Here is your pretty to start the week.

Dr. Watson, he will be 17 soon.
Very handsome.
.
thehamish.
His tests came back and they were bewildering.
The liver tests came out better but still wonky (medical term)
His diabetes has gone way up with numbers in the 300. 
This is very bad and so worrying. I am working on getting 
his numbers back into a more normal range.
He is my little old gud dug at 12 years old.
yert.

monster. . . parsnip
music. . . Home On The Range,  Gene Autry







15 comments:

  1. I don't think I'd get that close to a Gila Monster. He might get angry.

    Now I'd definitely want to get close to those two handsome fellas in the last two photos....

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    Replies
    1. I went outside to try to get another photo.
      He stopped looked at me for a few seconds and then just moseyed off.
      Of course I was on the other side of the fence.

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  2. Yikes!!! I don't think I like Gila monsters or any monsters. Well maybe my monster dogs. LOL

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    Replies
    1. You call that sweet little bundle of growing cuteness a monster ?

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  3. Good thing you closed that door fast. The Square ones are the beautiful ones.

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  4. The gila blends in well with the gravel and sand.

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  5. Wow, Gila monster! I think they are cute, too! Well in their unique way...haha. Didn't know they store food in tail. That explains fat tail :-)
    I'm sorry thehamish's test came back with some worrying results. I hope you can get them under control. thehamish and Watson are such precious babies xoxo

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  6. Hello Parsnip. So interesting you have this Gila monster in your garden.
    Sorry to read that thehamish is still not doing so well.
    The photos are lovely.
    Enjoy the Springtime!
    Roos

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  7. Seventeen? I can hardly believe it. Tell him from me he doesn't look a day over 12!

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  8. I don't care for your Gila monsters! But the doggies are a different story. Sorry Hamish isn't feeling well but maybe the spring weather and the vet's care will perk him up soon.

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  9. I love it. I've never seen a real picture of it, only the monster movie one.

    Thanks for this post. I'm gonna share it with a friend who loves them.

    Cheers and boogie boogie.

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  10. Gila monsters, wow, scary, but so interesting. I was just reading that Florida is having problems with Nile Monitor Lizards that have been released into the wild, they're huge.

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  11. So I imagine one doesn't lie out on the grass there. Come to think of it I wouldn't lie out on the grass anywhere now but he is quite scary even without the venom.
    You do wonders the care you take of those two bad boys. They are a credit to your nursing.

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