Snakes and snails and alligator lizards

Happy June 1.

Good Afternoon - It's a pleasant 82 degrees. 

Paid my bills - went to the grocery store - and then came on back home. I've been out every day this week and I need to stay home and get some work done. The husband is working his part-time job - every Thursday and Friday. He keeps saying he wants to quit - this job income did not go into our regular budget so it makes no difference to me. It was just "fun money". I tell him, it's fine with me - I do miss him on these days but I also like my own time. He's been saying this for a couple of months. 

He's doing well after the cortisone injection - next week he'll start PT. 

I haven't been doing much in the garden - I'm not feeling comfortable out there until the tall weeds get cut - we have at least 3 alligator lizards and 2 snakes. (not to mention too many snails and slugs)

My husband loves reptiles and I don't mind them if they are in someone else's yard - Oh no, that makes me a NIMBY.

Shasta Alligator Lizard

Those Shasta alligator lizards are big (mine are about 9-12 inches) and they are territorial. Not like the cute little lizards we normally have. These guys, think they own the place and will charge you. They bite - and when they do, they don't let go. They are out and about during the day - I opened the door to go out to the patio and 2 of them stood their ground. They move like a snake. 

Okay, you win - I went back inside. 

Oh why, oh why can't I have cute little furry cottontail bunnies in my yard?

No, I get the slimy, mean, and slithering critters in my yard. 

I feel I need to wear fishing waders that go up to the hip before I would feel comfortable weed-eating the weeds. 

So yeah, for the first time, I am not feeling like my yard is my yard. 

So far the front yard is still mine. 

I just love red geraniums - they remind me of my childhood. That distinctive geranium aroma - I know the snails sure love them. 

It shocked me when I heard that in colder climates, people have to take them inside the house, for the winter months. They are hardy here and withstand a lot of abuse - not that I abuse my geraniums! For those who have to bring them inside, do you re-pot them and do you check it out to make sure there are no snail eggs? 

Can you tell I can't stand slugs and snails??? 

I need to tell you my snail story.

In Pacifica, there is a lot of coastal ice plant. They grow and bloom even in the fog. Because of this, they attract snails and slugs. I guess I was bugging the next-door neighbor boy, Alyn - he had a fort he made and I wanted in and he wanted it to be NO GIRLS ALLOWED. I kept persisting and finally, he tore off a snail-infested branch of the ice plant and threw it at me. I had long hair and my mom had to pick out the snails and slugs that were in my hair. Let me say, I FREAKED OUT. 

Another time I stepped on one barefooted and the same boy, chased me around the schoolyard holding a snail. Word got out that Debby hated snails so, the boys would chase me or go as far as to throw them at me. 

In my younger days - I would have vivid nightmares of snails crawling on my bed.

Hey, what can I say - some people detest spiders (which don’t bother me) and I detest snails and slugs.  

Yesterday morning, we were invited along with other families, to FINALLY have a memorial service at the CalVeterans home for those lost during the pandemic. 

It was good to see the other families - we all agreed how difficult it was, to not have that "closure" from the home. They just whisked their body away and packed up their belongings and that was that.  I admit, I always felt that my dear Father-in-law and those who passed were just passed over. It hurt. 

They gave each of the families,  a folded flag that flew over the White House. They also are placing a tile with each Veteran's name, and placing it on a wall in the front of the building. That will be nice and they are hoping it will be completed by Veterans Day. 

They had a slide show - and so many that I remembered had passed. Not all of them died from Covid - most from just old age. The oldest was 105 years old. 

I don't do photos of my family or us -but came across this photo.  Taken about 12 or so years ago. The husband was the VFW Chaplain and I was the Ladies' Auxillary President. 

We've changed. 

The husband now has a white beard - and my hair has turned white. We’re old. 

That’s it for me -

“May June bring you joy, happiness, love, and lots of sunshine.”

Debby