these lizards want in

Apparently, it looks like a nice place to hang out inside our home. Or perhaps, it looks like a place that must surely have a large quantity of bugs to eat. Let's hope it's the former...

No matter what, these lizards want in! Once, months ago, I did have one lounging in my kitchen. Don't ask me how I managed to find him while the kids weren't right there to disturb him and send him running off to a remote corner of the house. Oh, and don't ask me why whenever we have these issues, Lew is no where to be found. But, I managed to get a cup over this little indoor sunbather, slide a placemat under the cup and toss the whole thing - live lized included - our the door! My Live Lizard Leaving rate is 100%!

Molly and Angus love lizards ... outside. I don't know how they would react to one inside. They weren't much help with the kitchen lizard, now were they? But, the cats will sit on the ottoman or their cat castle and watch a lizard out on the windowsill for as long as he'll stay and entertain them. Heck, they stay and watch after the lizard leaves. Just in case he returns. That sounds silly, but they do kind of come back. Right now, there is one lizard who seems to sleep in the window track of one kitchen window. I have seen him for the past several mornings. He may be waiting for his big break to come inside!! He has been entertaining Molly for days now and she loves it! Here he is now:

Then, yesterday, I happened to turn and look at just the right moment to spot one in between our inside door and storm door leading to the back deck. About 3 days ago, I opened the inside door - saw a lizard in there - screamed and slammed the door. Luckily, not on the lizard. I then have to go out the front, around to the back and let these stupid lizards out so they don't come inside when I open that door. So, two in between those doors within a week.... hmmm... I'm guessing the weather-stripping isn't doing so well on that storm door. Yeah, I took his picture before I went around to let him out:

OK, I literally was walking back inside after letting the second lizard out when I glanced into the dining room and saw this:

See him?? He has managed to get himself stuck between the window and the screen. So, I go in and pull the screen down so he has a one inch gap to escape. I'm sure all of these guys have gotten themselves into these tight places and can probably find their way out. But what if they can't? Then I end up with either a lizard sneaking into my kitchen when I open the back door or a dead lizard between the window and screen. It's easier to set them free! I opened the screen and what did he do? He thought I was making a seat for him! I did manage to get him off and the screen and window closed without him getting into the dining room.

I have friends and relatives who claim they would rather have a lizard in their house than a spider. Easy for northerners to say, there aren't lizards trying desperately to enter their abodes in October. Let me tell you my logic. I can throw a shoe at a spider (and I have good aim because we have palmetto bugs aka roaches... and I am a good shot) but no way and I about to kill a lizard in my home with a piece of my footwear. I also have a big ol can of bug spray for roaches and spiders. Yes, "big ol". And I am not about to poison a lizard in my home either. Let's face it... you cannot suck a lizard up with your vacuum cleaner! So, should I find myself in that position again - I am at the mercy of my cup/placemat/tossing skills and what if said lizard isn't near my kitchen? See, it is important to thwart their plans to enter in the first place. Because, as you have just seen... they want in!