Have you ever seen a lizard with a prolapsed cloaca?

Neither had we until today

Poor guy

It's been too dry for ants, so the FTHL are resorting to eating beetles twice the width of their intestines. We can feel the beetles in their stomachs, and one pooped out a beetle when we were processing it the other day. Our guess is that the above lizard got his current condition by passing one of these beetles.

Note: We held onto the lizard and were going to try the remedy of sprinkling sugar on the cloaca to reduce the swelling, but it had receded (is that the correct term?) by the time we got back home.

Cuteness vs. Fierceness

 How cute is April's hatchling fringe-toed lizard?

 

As cute as Kevin's hatchling FTHL?

 

Three hatchlings were caught today. 

Note the color variation.

Kevin thinks his is the cutest.

 

What do you do when a fierce lizard-eating coachwhip swallows one of your radio-tagged FTHL? Catch it (or dig it from a burrow in this case), take it back to the field station, and wait for it to poop out the $100+ transmitter.

 

Oh yeah, and try not to let it bite you while you admire it.

 

  Random photo not depicting cuteness or fierceness: Sidewinder Scat

Now you can say you've seen it.

Kristin's Cake

So...the other day Kristin from the UAZ crew set a new record for total FTHL captured in one day on our removal plot. She caught 12! April bakes a cake for anyone who beats her record. This is the applesauce cake that she made for Kristin. It's supposed to be depicting a FTHL emerging from its burrow in the sand, in case you can't tell.

Kevin doctored up a dollar store plastic lizard to make it look like a FTHL. April used an ice cream cone to make the burrow. The "edible" sand is made from sugar, crushed graham crackers, and spices.

Algodones Dunes: Special Edition Star Wars Photo Shoot

We still have a goal of making costumes for each family member. However, we took advantage of our existing Star Wars gear and did a photo shoot while at the dunes.

Jedi Youngling

Jawa

Boba Fett

 

Jedi Padawan

 

Boba Fett vs. Jedi Padawan and Jedi Youngling

Amelia Fett

 

Light Saber Practice Session

 If only George Lucas could see us now!

Algodones Dunes, 2012 Edition

 Please enjoy this photo journal of our trip to the Algodones Dunes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unidentified shrine off the highway on the drive back

Note: In case any of you missed seeing Megan, she is indeed missing. 

She's spending the week at Young Women's camp.

Independence Day 2012

Our day started bright and early putting up flags on people's lawns for the Scout's "Fly the Flag" project. It is a fundraiser that pays for all the scout camps and activities throughout the year.

Later on, we cooked a tasty barbecue over our fire pit.

We made a yummy applesauce cake but were not terribly creative with the frosting job.

Once it got dark, we played with sparklers!!!

Group Photo 

Everyone wanted to start a new tradition of swimming for the occasion.
That was followed by cake consumption.

We are indeed grateful for this wonderful country of ours.

Happy Birthday, America!