Like a bad penny

[LydiaNiz]

Hello lovely people,
It's been a while, but now house move is done (hooray!), small Niziblians are settling (hooray!) We have had tricky times on the autism front, and now it appears small boy may have Tourette's syndrome too. on the upside, have been making lots (lots of oxidised silver, a bit of 18ct gold, sugarcube diamonds and quartz), and have adopted this beautiful fella from a reptile rescue. He is very grumpy, makes unreasonable demands and I love him ridiculously. Hope everyone is ok and looking forward to picking your collective brains!
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[metalsmith]

Congrats on the move - and love your Chamaeleon (yes I looked up the spelling - but I had got it right!!).
Sorry to hear about the Tourettes. Challenging times.

[Dennis]

Glad to see you back Lydia and that little grump. Don't spend too much time catching flies for him. During my army days, a friend lost his chameleon once. It was located clinging to his ceiling fan.
Hope you will raise a family of geniuses.
Regards, Dennis.

[Tabby66]

Lovely to see you back Liz, glad you're all moved, and the lil'ns are settling, despite the additional challenges you may now have......oooh and I rather like your new grumpy fella ;)

[mizgeorge]

So nice to see you back Lydia - sounds like you've had a bit of a time of it. And I think he's gorgeous and not a bit grumpy looking :)

[ajda]

Gorgeous! He looks like a Veiled Chameleon from Arabia - is that right? I was very lucky as a child growing up in Kenya, where we used to meet chameleons all the time in the garden - my favourite probably Jacksons, triple horned like a miniature dinosaur. If I close my eyes and imagine, I can still feel that peculiar pricking sensation you get on the skin when they walk up your arm... and those fabulous swivelling eyes and wise old expressions, little bony arms and soft loose skin... possibly my favourite animal of all. I look forward to seeing your interpretation of him in magical colour-shifting golds!
Alan

[LydiaNiz]

thanks all! Jubal is indeed a veiled chameleon. He was veeery grumpy when he arrived, (he greeted me by hissing at me, and grabbing my septum) but has mellowed out now and has trained me up. He likes his routines, being hand-fed locusts, and is pretty spectacular. He comes and bangs on the door of his house when he wants to come out for an explore, very imperious fella :-) I use snake and lizard skin (sheds) a fair bit for texture in jewellery. I have a good stash thanks to a friend - my prize one is a complete shed from a beauty snake that I've yet to find the heart to break up to use!

[more534]

that is charming!
I worked for a fashion designer way back when, in Toronto, and to get rid of roaches, she brought in Geckos. worked very well, and they were a delight.

I have five cats, or else i'ld get something reptilian. or maybe a turtle.

[ajda]

In Kenya we had a cat who used to hunt geckos on the verandah walls in the evenings*. I had mixed feelings - it was very entertaining to see her leaping high up the walls with unerring aim, but I'm fond of geckos and didn't like to see them eaten. Mind you we never really had to feed that cat - she hunted for herself, everything from moths and flying ants to large reptiles and rodents, rarely birds I'm glad to say, sometimes snakes - mostly a non-poisonous small constrictor called a house snake (that also fed on geckos), occasionally something more sinister...

How's Jubal doing, Lydia?

Alan

*She'd sometimes go for a couple of life-size bronze geckos that we had attached to the wall in the sitting room... and look really shocked when her teeth met with metal instead of soft flesh.

[mizgeorge]

Eating lizards used to make our cats very sick in the Caribbean. We always knew when they'd been having a go at them. They never learned though...

[Dennis]

I know the difference between a buffalo and a bison,
and a stoat and a weasel,
but what is the difference between a gecko and a chameleon? Dennis

[ajda]

Eating lizards used to make our cats very sick in the Caribbean. We always knew when they'd been having a go at them. They never learned though...Maybe cats aren't as bright as quolls... http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/sep/10/cane-toad-sausages-on-menu-in-attempt-to-save-kimberleys-northern-quolls

[ajda]

I know the difference between a buffalo and a bison,
and a stoat and a weasel,
but what is the difference between a gecko and a chameleon? Dennis

http://www.nyanko.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/fas/bestiary_chameleon.html
http://allpoetry.com/The-Gecko

[more534]

well thankyou very much.
I now have Mud Mud Glorious Mud there's nothing quite like it for cooling the blood ....

going through my head.

no wallowing, though.

[more534]

The weasel is clever, the weasel is spunky,
The weasel when peeved smells decidedly funky.
He's long in the torso, and short in the legs.
He's a merciless hunter--they say he sucks eggs.

In summer the weasel, like ferret and stoat,
goes out in a nondescript frumpy brown coat.
But if, as may happen, his winter vacation,
is spent in a more or less frigid location,

An astounding transmogrification occurs:
The weasel puts on the most luscious of furs.
He turns into an Ermine! How does he achieve it?
A fact is a fact, you can take it or leave it.


:D :D :D

[LydiaNiz]

Sorry, been off juggling work and small seasonally ill children again - Dennis, these are my beloveds
Jubal (yemen chameleon) He likes to come out and sit in this plant for a mooch every morning. He is about 10 inches long excluding his tail
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He is very particular about his routine - he likes his light on, some water and a cuddle first thing. This is him and Lann (my husband) being cross at each other - Jubal gets very hissy if Lann isn't quick enough with his locusts (he has 3 every other day, on time please!)
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This is Bobo, our crested gecko, being weighed. He is about 6 inches long in total (tail included). They have leg flaps so can glide short distances, very sticky feet and prehensile sticky tails, and no eyelids, hence the impressive 'eyelashes'.
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[Dennis]

Very impressive family. More like jewels really.

[marna]

Maybe cats aren't as bright as quolls... http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/sep/10/cane-toad-sausages-on-menu-in-attempt-to-save-kimberleys-northern-quolls

My clever* cat just leapt onto the lit stove, paused, and hopped off again with a fearsome leap. I'm hoping she learned her lesson.

*compared to the other, very dim, cat.

Lydia, those are lovely, lovely beasts!

[ShinyLauren]

The chamelon is beautiful Lydia! I love reptiles.

[ajda]

Interesting article on chameleons' colour changing ability:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-31819588