Last fall, I found a tiny lizard that had been washed out of its little hiding place by the first big rain of the season. Although he didn't survive, it wasn't long before I saw another little lizard, maybe his sibling, living in that same area of the yard. That one has been lucky. It's been a mild winter so far, and there have been enough sunny days that he has been able to find bugs to eat along the fence and by my compost bin.

There were also adult lizards in this same area, but I haven't seen them since last fall, so they are either deep in hibernation or just gone. My guess is that such a juvenile lizard can't afford to go without food for so many months, so they sleep only when it's too cold, and wake up to feed when they can.

So I've been seeing a lot of this little guy lately. He is bright and active and plump. I decided I would catch him and keep him till the storms are over. Yes, this is what I did with his sibling and it still died, but that might have been because I had found it too late. This one still has a chance.





This picture is from just a few minutes ago, of the sidewalk newly speckled with rain. As I type this, the speckles are gone, and it's just wet.