The First

In the blink of my eyes, I saw her movement. She quickly scrambled into the yellow wildflowers avoiding the size 10 boot.  Pausing to see her further movement she darted again this time circling back behind me. Crafty little super smart lizard. Yet, not smart enough to realize that with me stepping back my size 6 shoe would crash her too.  

Keeping an eye on her movements amongst all the yellow and green she was corralled and placed into my hand. Such a feisty little lizard. Holding her with both hands I checked her belly and confirmed that she was indeed a she. Her spots on her belly made a pattern of sporadic Morse Code giving her a genetic thumbprint much like ours.  

I began rubbing her belly with my thumb to calm her.  Her eyes began closing and her heartbeat slowed. As I turned her over, claws clung to my hand.  

Finally, complete calmness overcame the little lizard where she embraced being held high up to the sky seeing it for the first time from this view. With each beat of her heart, the cool wind embraced her as the sun warmed her more. It was almost like she was smiling.  

I didn’t want to let her go. She was my first this year.  

I returned to her grassland home so she could become once again enveloped in the unheard symphony that we cannot hear. She went off weaving to and fro in solace and connection.  

She is the first Texas Horned Lizard for me in 2023.  I simply love these lizards and with every one of them, I learn something more about them.