Blue, The Lazy Lizard

    Hey, everyone. I worked hard today. I mowed the yard, used the weedeater, killed a big scorpion, swept the decks and walks, carried out the garbage and did 3 loads of clothes. Then I put on my swimming trunks and sat on the deck to grab a tan. It was sunny, but off to the west I could see thunderstorms cruising down a ridge as they made their way south.
     I was listening to my I-Pod with one ear-bud only. As I relaxed, a lizard came out from a crack in the deck boards. He began to sun himself, which they dearly love to do. This was a blue tailed lizard. When he found a good sunny spot he flicked his tail back and forth several times. It was as though he were sweeping a spot which I had missed during my chores. Almost immediately he went into a sun-induced stupor.
    I went inside and got a beverage. When I came back he had not moved, even though I sat about three feet away. I watched a gnat hover around his head. No response. An ant actually crawled across his back. No response. I couldn't refrain from asking him about it.
    "Hey, lizard."
    He awoke and blinked.
    "Yeah?"
    "I thought you guys ate bugs. But bugs are all around you and you're laying there sleeping."
     "Do you eat when you sleep?"
    "No."
    "Okay, chill out."
    I didn't let it go that easily.
    "I mean, we have all these insects that bother us and you're not doing your job."
    He gazed at me with his beady eyes.
    "Do you feel like I work for you?"
    "No," I said with a sigh. "What's your name?"
    "Blue. What's yours?"
    "C.E."
     We soaked up the sun in silent companionship for a while. Then I gave him some advice.
    "Hey, Blue. Better not come around when my wife is here. She hates lizards."
    "Why?"
    "She says you guys are slimy."
     He snorted in disgust. Then he moved to a sunnier spot. He glanced at me.
    "What's with that thing in your ear?"
    "I'm listening to music." I explained about songs. Then he asked what song I was listening to.
    "Hotel California. Want to hear?"
    "Yeah."
    I put the ear buds up close to his head and he seemed to really dig the music. He didn't like the part where they sang about killing the beast.
      He looked at me askance as I returned to my seat.
    "Your tribe is a bit warlike, don't you think?"
    "Yeah."
    He asked me about California and I described it. When I told him about how it stayed sunny all the time he was intrigued.
    "How do I get there?"
    I pointed west.
   "It's a long, long journey in that direction."
    "I may go there."
    "If you do, drop me a postcard."
    "Sure," he said. Then, after a pause he said, "What's a postcard?" He moved to follow the sun's path as it retreated for the evening. Then he yawned and said, "I'm glad you killed that scorpion. He had an attitude."
    From the author's green retreat, I'm CE Wills.