right on his heel a monster lurked

I mentioned in my post last week, about the bobcat, that it's when you aren't looking that things creep up on you around here. Which means, we are always 'looking' because the minute you don't look is when you get surprised the most. 

Like this particularly quiet sunday. The Reptile Wrangler walked out to the studio, stepped down the small step onto the patio and just happened to look down at his feet. Right behind his heel, between him  and the step was this fairly LARGE gila monster (pronounced: hee la monster). Right on his heel. Literally. 

Chuck didn't really tell me if he jumped or flew, but I'm sure he got out of the way pretty quickly. If it had been me, I'm pretty certain my body would have met the sliding glass door, with the impact and resulting unconsciousness,  that birds sometimes find themselves in when flying directly into windows. And I'm quite certain my wildlife language, that I reserve for moments like this, would have been heard across the land. I know for most certain, hair on my legs would have profusely sprouted from the goose bumps that would have robustly risen across the land. What did the Wrangler do? He came and got me and said, "bring the camera... it's something good and I almost stepped on it!"

It had found its way into the corner and stayed there posing for the photo shoot. This is a big one folks. I'm not sure if there is anything to it, as far as size or age, but see that slight hump above its back legs? I don't think I have noticed that on any I have seen before. Grandaddy?

Later on we nudged it with the rake. (Wrangling skills at work).  And it slowly made his way out of the corner. Just look at its cute face. (I'm being sarcastic)

And the toe nails!! In case you are new here to my blog or you have forgotten the facts...these creatures have a very venomous bite. (I found this site that has some interesting info, watch the video, I actually gasped when the man came on the screen holding one!-click the highlighted words).

They are feared the most around these parts. And most people, having lived here for years or even their whole lives tell us they have never seen one. To those people I always say..."come hang around us."  This makes the fifth one that we have had in our yard and including those seen while out hiking...eight total.

Look at the nails! It they don't get you with their teeth, they might scratch your eyes out! Just kidding, I feel a little more relaxed after seeing the man in the video holding one. Don't worry, I will never hold one. Ever.

It meandered its way around the patio and when I saw it do this...

I realized Chuck was pretty lucky he didn't step on its tail because it could have reached around and grabbed on to his ankle! Or his heel.

A gila monster dangling on his heel would not have been a good thing!

Well, the Wrangler didn't get his reptile skills on that day. We got distracted with some pie that was gifted to us by our friends and later, when he went back out to look, the gila was gone. Probably after we left it clicked its heels and headed back to its home. With its family.

It has been a few weeks since we had the gila on the patio (not really breaking news around here) and the other night my phone rang. It was the Wrangler. He told Rachel and I to meet him on the driveway. He had been away and was pulling up the drive when his headlights beamed on this...

This guy is smaller then the one on the patio...So like I said, the other one went home to his family! The scary thing about this photo is the fact that I didn't know they crawl around at night. As in...when it is dark!

I don't usually walk around out there in the dark without a flashlight but,

"Oh my heel...a...monster in the dark!" 

That's nine by the way.
Ugh.