heel if I know

Gila. Remember you pronounce it heel-ah. Heello?
(fact: those tiles measure 12 inches wide)

Yep. We had another visit from a Gila Monster. I have lost track now of how many that makes. 

Gil-of-a-lot!! (don't forget to make the 'h' sound instead of the 'g' sound). Somewhere around 12-15 of these creatures have graced us with their presence since moving here 5 years ago. I remind you of that fact only because we still hear people say..."I've lived here my whole life and I've never seen one." Never, ever, ever. 

Well come live with us, because apparently...we are Gila Magnets!

Wait...I don't mean YOU Mr. Gila...I don't want you to come live with us.

He started off over in the corner and then made his way to the sliding glass door where he peered in at me and actually used his claws to scratch on the glass. Yep, scratching on the glass. 

This is where nightmares come from!

"Let me in, let me in!" 

(You have to say that with a creepy, screechy witches voice, while flicking your claw-like finger nails under you chin.)

"Let me in, let me in!" 

                                                 Oh, I'm sorry, does the tile hurt your feet?
                  Well, just make yourself at home and come on over to the welcome mat!

 Seriously. This is just a little too close. To make it even more interesting, he started licking the glass. My camera never snapped quickly enough to capture his long, black, slithery, forked tongue, but trust me when I say...licking   the   glass!

                           "Hello lady...are you in there?? You can run but you can't hide!!!"

                 It's here that I will remind you that these are THE most venomous lizards in North America.
                                                                         The MOST!
If they bite you, they clamp their jaw down and do a "chewing" motion  releasing the venom through their bottom teeth. You can read other fun Gila facts by clicking on this large GILA. 

After checking out the glass door and hanging out under the cabinet that we keep towels and such in, he started to make his way out and around the brick wall, presumably making his way back out of our yard. I assumed he had come in under the gate by the driveway. This is when I snuck out and took a wide route around him to capture a picture or two. However, he swung his head in my direction, opened his mouth and did a silent hiss or snarl at me. Goosebumps immediately formed on my entire body and I backed way the Gila away.

So, I zoomed my telephoto lens in and snapped a couple of pics. Notice how he somewhat blends in with his surroundings? Good to know. Here you see how easily they can turn their bodies to head back in the direction they came. Or...go after  something following too closely.

                                                         It's almost folded completely in half.

 And then he headed right back in the direction he came from. Right back on the patio and right back underneath the cabinet. This is when I'd like to mention that the space under the cabinet is only about and inch to an inch and a half. He could flatten his body and squeeze under that narrow space. Also good to know.  So, I scooted the other direction and made a be-line for the safety of the house.

I watched him come out one more time, but instead of leaving he turned and went right back under the cabinet. I watched off and on for quite some time, but had to move on with my day. So, guess what? The Reptile Wrangler was at work. The Reptile Wrangler's son was not going anywhere near the thing.

And so, we don't know where it is now.

I'm hoping he came out of hiding to find something to eat and based on the fact that there were plenty of quail parents watching over their nests, I'm guessing a few quail eggs were a tasty treat. Or, some of the bunnies that are around. I'm secretly hoping he was able to snag the chubby squirrel that has been a plant-eating nuisance around here. I think there must be a group of these Gila's that live down in the wash next to our driveway. This is where we have seen a few before. My guess is some of these sightings might be the same one and others are friends and family. They have been a variety of sizes, so we know it isn't just one coming around. And there was that one that the Wrangler put into a trashcan (with a lid) and drove to a new location. So unless it traveled far and wide to come back here, I know there are more than just one.

I don't like the fact that this one was so close to the house. Oh, and the one that was in the garage a month or two ago? I don't like that either. I don't like that this one was scratching on the glass...possibly
saying ..."Heel-o beautiful lady...won't you come out to play?"

I also don't like the fact that somehow that Tarantula found his way INSIDE my house that lovely October night a few years ago...and my thoughts want to argue with each other saying, "a Gila Monster won't ever come inside the house!"

"Never, ever, ever."

The end.