The great critter caper

Last week I cleaned out the storage area. Area. Have you ever really thought about what that word encompasses? I mean does there have to be a certain amount of space before you can say that length x width = area? Because if you do you can't call what we have a storage "area". We are in the market for a Rubbermaid storage shed. Those appear to be fairly popular here. At least they're a safer projectile in tropical cyclone winds than their counterparts.

Our storage "place"...that's what we'll call it...barely has enough room for our two bikes, lawn mower and folded bike trailer for Jenna. In the corner we can fit our lawn chairs and some tools. Not much else to is going to fit in there except perhaps...two geckos and their baby. Yes, it was to be an eventful afternoon. Fortunately, no one was watching. At least Ashton Kutcher didn't pop out from behind our Chinese Banyan tree saying that I'd been "Punk'd". For those of you that don't know he's the modern Allen Funt of "Candid Camera".

Honestly, things were going well right up until the time I put my hand on the doorknob to open the door to go in. It was all downhill after that. I pulled out the gas can and was rearranging the lawn mower when a gecko ran out from under it. I was barely standing there on the step. He startled me so badly I leaned back and was teetering on the step trying to keep my balance. I didn't. I fell backwards and knocked over the gas can which promptly started leaking gas all over the lawn. At least I didn't fall down. I managed to grab the door and made the decision to go back in and confront my fears when from out of nowhere this same gigantic gecko (he was 2 times larger this time) comes running out and parks himself on the handlebars of the bike I was moving...and looks at me. He just stares at me! He ran off but, don't forget about him. He comes back at the end of the story. Next I see his friend up on the wall and she's just staring at me too! After all of the staring I decided it was time to hack off some limbs on the Chinese Banyan. Two of the limbs were so large I had to use a saw. When I went to go get that saw (that's kept in a cover in a bucket in the storage place) a baby gecko came running out of the cover onto the handle of the saw. They're everywhere! There were two more on the porch when I moved the chairs. I'm going to have to remember to shake things before I sit.

Finally, I decided since I had the perfect camera and you must remember what that is (the one you have with you) I was going to take a picture of the cause of my frustration. I went back into the storage place and again, that same gecko (only 5 times larger than the last time) was on the ceiling. Those little guys are like the man in the Super Glue commercial with the hard hat. With their little suctioned feet they can hold on to any surface. I tried several times to get a good picture of him and then...he fell. He fell straight from the ceiling onto the floor. The whole encounter was pretty funny. I'm not afraid of them. I just don't like things that move so fast. It makes me scream every time I see them...which reminds me of another commerial...

Sunglasses = $32
Lawn Chair = $17
Glass of iced tea = $1
Relaxing and witnessing Deanna react to a family of harmless geckos = priceless!