Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Who's been eating my porridge?


Robert is back in the states for two weeks so once again Allie and I are fending for ourselves. I was glad to have Betsy back if only to have one more warm body in the house and the faint illusion of canine protection. Problem is, every little thing scares her and sets her barking: animals on television, a wadded-up paper towel, a bronze bunny statue.

We were watching television last night when I heard the familar sound of kibbles being pushed around her steel bowl. But when I glanced over to the sofa at Allison I saw Betsy asleep by her side. What was that in the kitchen!!! Betsy heard it too and leaped off the sofa skidding to a stop in the kitchen; me, more timidly, behind her. She chased something into the garage. WHAT? A mouse? I've never seen one here nor seen any evidence of mouse droppings. A cat? Do bats eat dog food?, I wondered. Whatever it was had to be little enough to hide in the garage since there is no escape to outside, but, (and this was the disconcerting part) big enough to make sounds like a hungry dog at the dinner bowl.

So we went to bed not knowing. In the dark, with Robert gone and the phantom critter, I had a difficult time falling asleep. This morning my friend, Marta, informed me that our mystery critter might have been an iguana. An iguana?, I said, imagining a Komodo dragon. Well, it had to be big enough to sidle up to Betsy's bowl and make the racket it did. She assures me they are small and harmless. Think Gecko.
Okay, but I think I'd feel better if it just shows its face so we know for sure.

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