"Here Leeezard, Leeezard...!"

Remember the Taco Bell commercials with the little chihuahua (hence today's title)?...there was one where he set a trap to catch Godzilla in a box...and then, when the shadow of the super-sized reptile consumed the scene, the dog says, "I theenk I need a beeeger box..."

(rough audio, but to see the ad click HERE )

"Hold steeeel, leeezards, leeezards...!"

Several days ago I noticed these lizards sunning on the electrical box in the sunshine...at that point it was not overly warm, but the calm day allowed the metal to warm to a pleasing temperature, so it appears. Typical of many animal species, and especially reptilian ones, they use their innate noggins and take advantage of the insolation and re-radiation on select surfaces.

And so I wondered just what kind of lizards they are...and learned a little something as I've not been one to really study lizards to any depth.

They are Green Anoles (uh-NO-leez)...only they're not green...not when I took the picture, that is. In fact, when temperatures are at or below 60 degrees, they tend to stay brown...and above 70 degrees tend to remain green. Of course, they are chameleon-like in that they can blend quickly with their surroundings, so they go green around vegetation, and brownish around bark and, well, electrical boxes.

I had to shoot them from a distance, hand-holding a hefty lens, but I'm glad at least a couple of 'em came out for your viewing pleasure...kinda sorta. I have feeling that mom will rank these pics close to snakes in terms of things she really doesn't want to look at up close...I think I can hear her now, "Robert, why did you put those lizards on there? You know I don't like that...!" Apologies, dear half-owner of my chromosome set...

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Quick addendum to yesterday's blog with the neighborhood blooms...wanted to revisit the Tulip Magnolia tree a moment, as it has for decades given me the same message: heads up.

First, its flower is a lovely deep purplish bloom of long petals, one of the earlier bloomers and distinctive in it's design and look (most other tree blooms are far smaller in size and shape. I'm pretty sure this is the cultivar Magnolia x soulangiana "Verbanica" (the "Saucer" Magnolia) that is in my neighbor's yard.

We know weather changes often, especially in the 'spring' time of year...but this semi-fragile bloom has always been a harbinger of noticeable weather changes within 7 days per my observations. Because of my years in Virginia, that usually meant a late-season cold front packing strong winds and much colder temperatures behind it, even snow and ice. Virtually every year it happened that way...nice and balmy, the blooms pop-out, and then *kapow* the blooms get pelted or blown off before I can get good pictures of 'em.

Here we are enjoying this nice warm weather, with a week-ending round of thunderstorms, rain, and colder temperatures by the weekend. At least I got a few snaps before they disappeared on me this time!