You see, we had a little excitement at our house Tuesday. That’s one of the things I like least about this country, the unpredictability of what’s going to happen next. Well, now that I think about it, that’s one of the things I love most about this country! If there’s a dull moment, it’s only because we’ve closed our eyes and ears to life around us. And if the truth be told, I love surprises! But in the past, I’ve always preferred that they come from a jewelry store. God’s teaching me there’s more sparkle to life than in a gemstone.
Jim and I were in the back bedroom which we made in to our room after Tom and Nora left. It’s smaller and with a much smaller closet, but we love how light and open it is so we swapped the beds around and now are getting adjusted to “living” in the other part of the house. It was close to noon and we were discussing some financial matters (yuk!) when we heard a noise on the roof. I looked at Jim and he told me it was just birds. The noise intensified and I told him I didn’t think it sounded like birds. He agreed and went outside to check it out.
Margarita was out front mopping the porch and I heard her and Jim talking. The next thing I knew, I heard Margarita let out a yelp and then heard Jim come running down the front steps. I went to the bathroom window and saw them both laughing and pointing. I asked what was going on and Jim said there had been an iguana on the roof and it had jumped down to the ground right in front of Margarita and had run out in to the yard behind the plantain trees. Well, I had already missed too much of the excitement and wasn’t going to miss any more so outside I
went…along with Pixie, Susanna’s dog.
She started sniffing and went off on her own hunt while the three of us went down in to the lower yard where the iguana had run. Margarita was describing it to me and said it probably had climbed up in one of the trees and we were all looking up when the iguana took off running along the wall. It was fast and it was bigger than I expected. I thought it would be a bit larger than the house geckos we have but this thing qualified as a big, ugly lizard! It wasn’t anything close to the size of a Komodo dragon but in my mind, knowing it was in our yard, it was every bit as dangerous!
Of course, Pixie had to see it and took off chasing it. No matter how much we called her she refused to come to us and had the iguana backed up against the upper yard wall. It rared up it’s spiney neck and began hissing at Pixie, no longer backing down. Jim jumped up the lower wall and ran up trying to get Pixie away from the iguana without getting in a position of being bit by either. Margarita and I continued to call to Pixie to no avail. Finally, Jim got hold of her and carried her up to the house so we could shut her inside.
Jim’s idea was to chase the iguana up to the fence so he could get it shooed out of the yard. The iguana’s idea was that it had no intention of leaving. It turned around and ran back down the yard and hid behind a rental sign our landlady has propped against the wall. While I was trying to keep Pixie from tearing down the door or ripping out the window screen, I heard lots of commotion again. By the time I got through the door minus Pixie and back out on the porch, I saw Margarita proudly carrying the iguana up to the porch.
Evidently, Jim managed to trap the iguana against the wall with the sign. Margarita reached in 
and grabbed it behind the neck…an act neither of us would have attempted after having seen it bare its pointy little teeth at Pixie. Margarita told us that when she was a girl, she and her brother used to catch them all the time and that her father would go up in the mountains to catch them to bring them down for food. She then asked us if we wanted it. My fast and firm reply of “no” must have had a shocked and disgusted facial expression accompany it because Margarita burst out laughing. She said she w
ould take it. I asked her what she was going to do with it and she told me she would cook it and that it was very tasty. I told her I would pass. I asked her if I could touch it and she held it firmly while I stroked its side. I expected hard and scaly but it was much smoother than I had anticipated. Even the spiny things running down its back were pliable and not at all hard and bony like I had thought they would be. I was certainly getting a hands-on education on iguanas. Margarita actually thanked God on our porch for such a good find. I silently thanked God that she was here to catch it!
and grabbed it behind the neck…an act neither of us would have attempted after having seen it bare its pointy little teeth at Pixie. Margarita told us that when she was a girl, she and her brother used to catch them all the time and that her father would go up in the mountains to catch them to bring them down for food. She then asked us if we wanted it. My fast and firm reply of “no” must have had a shocked and disgusted facial expression accompany it because Margarita burst out laughing. She said she w
ould take it. I asked her what she was going to do with it and she told me she would cook it and that it was very tasty. I told her I would pass. I asked her if I could touch it and she held it firmly while I stroked its side. I expected hard and scaly but it was much smoother than I had anticipated. Even the spiny things running down its back were pliable and not at all hard and bony like I had thought they would be. I was certainly getting a hands-on education on iguanas. Margarita actually thanked God on our porch for such a good find. I silently thanked God that she was here to catch it!
Jim went to get string and tape so that the iguana could be safely immobilized. Tying string on the mouth didn’t work so the ever-handy duct tape did the trick. With Margarita’s instruction, the two back legs were tied together and then, the two front legs tied. Jim then duct taped its mouth closed while keeping the nasal passage open so it could still breathe. Margarita tucked its tail up between its legs to shorten it in length and the whole “package” was tied again. She then wrapped it in newspaper and put it in a 
plastic bag on top of our car, safely out of the reach of Pixie.
plastic bag on top of our car, safely out of the reach of Pixie. Margarita was going to the market that afternoon and would have to take the iguana with her. We laughed at how she could have a whole seat to herself if she would just let him out of the bag and untie him. The thought was appealing but the promise of a nice iguana soup seemed to rule out fun and games on the bus.
She couldn’t believe we had never eaten iguana and I couldn’t believe she would want to! It was such a find for her that it put her in high spirits and I was even able to get a picture of her smiling…a rarity! It’s not that Margarita doesn’t smile but if the camera is out, she’s sober as a judge…as are most Nicaraguans when it’s photo time. Margarita was so excited they were going to have iguana for supper that she almost forgot the hambone that we had left from Christmas dinner. I know it didn’t have much meat on it but it would have been my pick of the two!
I had to laugh as I watched the little dynamo happily walk up our street to go catch her bus, proudly carrying her prize catch for the day in a plastic bag. We were all pleased things had turned out the way they had…well, except for the iguana…I doubt if he was too thrilled being bound, gagged and bagged. But we were thankful… no one had been bit. Margarita had supper in her possession and we were once again, iguana-free! We had experienced yet another “first” in this very different country that is now our home. It’s true this surprise didn’t come wrapped in a velvet pouch or beautiful little box, but it was a fun surprise, nevertheless. And the fleet-footed little fellow put us all in a better mood for the day…isn’t that what a surprise is all about?
1 comment:
Makes venison sound even better!!!
No telling what the two of you will turn up next...glad no one got bit and God provided food for those who are thankful to have it.
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