Mr. and Mrs. Sanford

O.k. i didn't get pictures of the herd today. There was this crazy cold front slash icy cold rain phenomenon that did not encourage my outdoor pet photo shoot creativity. However, i did get a picture of Sanford. Sanford has taken residence in my bathroom window. He earns his keep by entertaining my curiosity during bathroom visits, and i try to do my best to ensure that his stay in my home does not result in his death. Actually, i guess i don't know if Sanford is a girl or a guy. I just assume that all tiny animals are boys.

Anyway, i've been watching Sanford, being careful not to open or close the window too quickly for fear of smashing his tiny little lizard body, making sure that the blinds are turned just right so that he can safely lie on them on sunny days to get a little sun. He has been in the window for several weeks, and i started to get worried. His color was getting duller and duller (is that a word?), and the other day i actually saw his ribs. So i started doing some reading to find out what might be wrong with him.

One thing i read is that he could catch food in the window screen - tiny little bugs, you know. And then i realized, i had left the window closed for a long time, and he hadn't been able to get to the screen. I was starving him out! So yesterday, i opened the window - carefully! And Sanford livened up a couple hours later. And by this morning, his color had returned to the traditional bright lizard green. Whew!

I was thinking about making a little environment for Sanford on the window sill. You know, a little plant, maybe a basking rock, something to spritz water on the window for him so he wouldn't get dehydrated....when apparently Sanford decided to start the trek toward the great outdoors. About the third time i had nearly missed stepping squarely on Sanford, i realized....it's spring time! Sanford must want to go and find Mrs. Sanford!

Well, Sanford had given up on Mrs. Sanford after the fourth-ish brush with death and was headed back up the wall toward the window just as the cold winter air blew back into town. And now, as you can sort of see in the picture up above, Sanford is hiding in between the panes of glass for shelter from the mean cold air. And i can't close the window because i don't want to smash him with the rubber stripping. And poor Sanford's color has returned to a dull brown. I think he's sad.

I wish i could get him a heating lamp and install an itsy bitsy pet door in the screen so that he could have Mrs. Sanford in for visits, but i probably can't do that. Wouldn't that be nice? The whole little Sanford family living on my window sill...basking on the slats of the blinds. That would be fun.