Monday, March 4…Horny Toad (piano instrumental by Conner Chee)

    Last night I typed up most of my journal then shut down the computer and turned my attention to needle felting.  When I came back to my Word document, all I saw was a blank page, with only half of the program loaded.  What in the world?! Argh!!   The next hour or so was nothing but frustrating as the program slowly came back to life but still with a blank document.  In my gut I knew it had to be there, but I didn’t know how to go about finding it and certainly didn’t want to push a button would save it forever as a blank page. I proceeded very cautiously. Using the computer is kind of like using my sewing machine…I’m proficient at using it but don’t know how to fix glitches that pop up. I knew I could always get the previous days’ entries by doing a cut ‘n paste routine from the blog program I use but losing what I’d written about that day (Sunday) had me shaking my head in frustration.  I got into the history area of the program and eventually my words reappeared but not before I had three separate versions of the document.  Relieved is an understatement. Will be very cautious about saving it and shutting down the computer going forward.

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   My membership on the Reptile and Amphibian Identification Facebook page has been approved!  Felt a small thrill at that notification. 😊 It’s supposedly an identification page only…no cute, chit chatty stuff.  When reading the rules of the page, in my head I heard Sgt. Joe Friday (Dragnet) saying, “Just the facts, ma’am…just the facts.”

   Anyway, after I posted my picture, was reminded that location was necessary for identification and then corrected that mistake, I got an answer to my identification: a young Regal Horned Lizard, which was one of my choices.  The ID was confirmed by two sources on the page. One source listed thepertinent identifying characteristics: Single row of body fringe spines, number of horns, and locale. Looking at other pictures on the page, I can see why location is necessary because this is a world-wide page, not just an Arizona thing as I had assumed. I saw posts from Cambodia, Zambia, Aruba, and South Africa as well as many from throughout the United States.

   The Regal Horned Lizard has such a bad ass superpower: It possesses the ability to squirt blood out of its eyes at predators. Darn straight that’s bad ass!! It can shoot the blood three feet or more and aim it, too. Not only that but the blood has a foul taste due to the lizard’s diet of poisonous ants, which for some reason doesn’t affect the lizard. Wow…just Wow! I watched a video on this unique defense mechanism, and I’m so thankful that all the little guy did yesterday was track my movements with his eyes when I got the camera close to him…probably would have peed my pants from surprise if it had squirted blood at me.  The Regal Horned Lizard can also change colors to blend into its surroundings and if necessary, can suck in air to inflate like a little balloon, hoping to give the impression it’s too big to eat.  Crazy stuff! Oh, and horned lizards are sometimes called Horny Toads because their round bodies resemble a toad’s. But don’t let the name confuse; they’re lizards, not toads.

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   The one-eyed monkey mask is gone. We first discovered it in 2016, our first year out here. It had been discarded on Toltec Butte Rd. near the hawk nest that was built up on an electrical pole. Both the nestand mask were here in 2022; in 2023, both were gone.  The nest had been pulled down, I’m sure by the power company. Disappointing but understandable. I was hopeful that the mask was in the huge puddle on the dirt road. But apparently not because it’s gone. Looks like someone has been making an attempt to clean up that area…it was basically a dumping ground.  Probably how the monkey mask got out there in the first place.  If I’d known that the last time I saw it was going to be the last time I’d ever see it, then I would have taken it.  Taken it home, hung it on the garage wall…store it in the camper’s utility area and then hang it next to the back ramp when we come out to Arizona…do something to honor it.  I grew attached to the creepy-looking one-eyed monkey mask and I miss it.  Can’t explain it.

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   It’s been verified…Sam Elliott is alive and well! When we got back from doing the wash, Kim heard someone on a bike out on the road talking to some people walking by our camper. The voice was unmistakable.  He asked if he’d met them before because for the last few years, he’s talked to a couple of people staying at the campground and was wondering if it had been them.  When they answered no, he explained that he has cataracts and wasn’t sure because he doesn’t see so well. I’m just tickled that he remembers talking to us even if he doesn’t remember what we look like. 😎

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   The horned lizard was out in the yard again today.  As I stepped out of the door, Kim reminded me to watch where I walk. I was on the second step when I saw the lizard about 5 feet beyond our camp rug.Grabbed the camera and played paparazzi with our zoom lenses. It was amazing how well it blended with the sand. And now that I’ve been forewarned, I think it would be interesting to see the blood squirting thing, but I read that they typically don’t squirt at humans.  Oh, well.  Normally, I try to look up and out when walking but now I feel obligated to look down…at least when I’m in the yard. Don’t want to be responsible for squishing our new neighbor.   

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   Late afternoon, we put our first cell camera out on Nutt Rd.  It’s pointed at what appears to be a natural game trail that goes under a fence.  Kim wanted to see what animals, if any, use that trail.

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   No walk and no bike ride today, but the laundry’s done, there’s food in the camper, the cell camera is out and mailings to the WonderKids have gone to the post office. It’s a good trade-off.