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It took a lot of searching but we figured out that the lizard we saw
yesterday is actually a Desert Iguana.
Movement is what drew my attention to it which is when I noticed that it
was larger than the lizards we see along the frontage road or in camp. Got a couple of really good pictures so it
was a matter of spending some time comparing my photos to lizard images found
online. Tedious yet rewarding. I know
what it looks like so I’m not including the physical characteristics here,
other than to say that it can grow up to 16”.
Otherwise this is the information from rosamondgiffordzoo.org on
the desert iguana:
Behaviors:
 |
| Hanging out on a prickly pear cactus |
• The desert iguana
can survive the most extreme heat. Temperatures of up to 115°F can be
tolerated.
• The animals are
diurnal (active during the day) when most other animals are hiding from the
heat.
• The desert iguana
hibernates during the winter and becomes active again around mid-March.
• During the day, it
is usually found on the ground foraging for food in shrubs or basking in the
sun.
• The desert iguana
burrows near shrubs or sand hummocks (knolls) where it can escape from the heat
and predators. It often uses the burrows of the kangaroo rat.
Fun Facts:
• The desert iguana
can lose its tail. By dropping its tail, the predator will go after the tail
which allows the iguana to escape to safety.
• The desert iguana
can mark its territory with a secretion that fluoresces but no one else can see.
Two questions popped up when I read the Fun Facts: 1. How does it drop its tail? and 2. Can
the fluorescent secretion be seen with a blacklight? 😏
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The
four stabilizing legs (jacks) on the trailer have been exhibiting signs of
having been left in the down position when the trailer was moved, allowing each
to catch on the ground, bending slightly and weakening...and it didn’t happen
on our watch. However, with our movement
inside the trailer for the past 6 weeks, the leaning had become very
pronounced, making the trailer more jiggly than ever.
Kim ordered a set of
replacement legs, much sturdier than the originals. They arrived earlier than expected so that
was his project for this morning. And
while the jiggle isn’t gone, it is greatly diminished.👍
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On Sunday we came up with a tentative exit
plan...heading for Michigan on Saturday, the 11th. The trailer jacks were supposed to get here on the 9th
and that would have given Kim a day or two to change them out. Well, that job’s done but we’re still
sticking to our original departure date.
We’re both assuming that Governor Whitmer will be extending the shelter-in-place
order until the end of April and depending on how long it takes us to get home,
our two week quarantine would be done at about the same time. And if she doesn’t extend the order, leaving
on Saturday will still work.
The plan is to camp our way
home...whether in rest areas, KOA campgrounds or truck stops. It will minimize our exposure to others;
we’ll also have access to the kitchen and the bathroom. Of course, we’ll have to take at least one
bike, if not both, out each night so we can set up the couch for sleeping;
we’ve discussed the best course of action for doing that knowing that being flexible
is the name of the game. Packing
differently than we did on the way out might make things easier also.
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I went for a walk around the
outer perimeter of the campground around mid-day. As I rounded a corner shielded by bushes I
was surprised to see a 20-ft tall dust devil swirling in the middle of the road
about 15 feet in front of me. It was maybe
5 feet in diameter. I watched it,
mesmerized by its dance like movements.
As I stood there I could have sworn a hand extended toward me with a
finger beckoning me to come join the dance. Uh, no
thanks! My experience yesterday taught me that a dance with you would certainly
bring new meaning to the phrase ‘Dirty Dancing.’ I’ll just watch. After about 20 seconds it moved up the road
and then disappeared. I was frustrated with
myself because it’s one of the few times I left my camera in camp.
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So today I walked, I napped
and I took a bike ride. Not a
particularly profound day but I managed to fill the hours. Kim is out imaging right now despite the full
moon. He’s using the big scope and the
H-A filter to counteract the brightness of the moon. Beautiful night.
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Bike miles today: 65
Total miles: 2625
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| Tuesday's route |
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