It’s been a cold winder in Florida. Last week, it was about 39 degrees in South Florida with the wind chill one morning, and in the teens upstate in the Panhandle. It actually snowed an inch or less, but still, it was a white snow covering.
I can usually tell when it will be a cold winter from the weather we get in the Fall. If we get a day or two that’s cold in September or October, inevitably, it is a cold winter in December, January and February – not every day, but on and off during the season.
The thing all over the news, local and national, is the falling iguanas, who freeze up from the cold and fall from trees. It’s because they are cold-blooded and can’t regulate their body temperatures. They art sort of pliable, not stiff, and they don’t get hurt, they just make a plopping sound when they hit the ground. It’s almost as if they are playing dead.
I’ve seen thousands of iguanas around Miami all my life, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen one that has fallen from a tree. But I’ve seen it all over the news this week.
At times we’ve been in a park having lunch and look up and a bunch of iguanas are running through the lawn in unison, it looked like a mini Jurassic Park. They are ubiquitous around here.
One of my nephews had an iguana. His name was Iggy. He was well trained. He went to the bathroom in the bathtub and he had the run of the house. You would just be sitting on the couch and he would be walking, very slowly, behind you on the top part of the couch.
One time I had to go to their house to get something, no one was home. I walked into the kitchen, and there is Iggy, up on the counter, grabbing for the bananas. The large green body against the yellow bananas was startling.
One of my nephew’s first internet handles was “Iggy Falco,” which I laughed at every time I saw it. It was such a funny name.
I have a friend from New York who calls Miami the land of Peacocks and Palm trees. We of course have palm trees and we also have peacocks walking all over the place. We have to stop while driving to allow them to cross the street – everyday. And we also have roosters and chickens and of course iguanas all over. Yes, roosters and chickens. I hear a rooster crowing from down the block as I type this. A rooster. In an urban area. Don’t ask.
One time I was leaving Publix and a chicken and baby chicks were blocking my path. I got out of the car and waved a newspaper at them to get them to move (yes, a real printed newspaper). I looked up and a cop who was sitting in his car was watching and laughing.
Life down south.
Till next time . . .
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