Aozora
Blue Sky Reptiles
I'd needed some repairs done to my car, so since I work nights I'd asked my mom to take the car to the shop for me. She said it was done and I could come by and get it, so I came by her house and went inside to talk to her. She wanted to show me some new redecorating she'd done downstairs, so we went down there and were looking at some new paintings.
My roommate suddenly came down the stairs, holding my green iguana. "Guys? Charlie's dead."
My mom and dad bought Charlie for me when I was 4 years old, at a reptile expo in Florida. He was a tiny little thing, just a fresh hatchling. My dad always liked to say that he didn't think that little green lizard would live very long. We didn't know what we were doing with him at first, and early in his life we nearly killed him because we didn't know he needed calcium supplements in his diet. We did stunt his growth--a male iguana his age should have been a lot bigger.
Charlie was with us for 23 years. I pretty much grew up with him. He was a wild youngster, an awesome mellow adult, and a crotchety old man. We knew he was going downhill, because he couldn't climb his 4' perch any more and he spent a lot of time not moving toward the end. He would get mad if we touched him, but at his age he likely had arthritis. Still, though, I don't think you can ever be prepared for the death of a pet.
Actually, no. He wasn't a pet. Any animal who's with you for 23 years is family, and to be honest I feel like I lost my little brother.
My mom has a few dogs, and I was afraid that if I buried Charlie at her house they would dig him up. We took him back to my house. I held him all the way. My dad gave me a Japanese maple tree which I hadn't planted yet because I was waiting for the tree to go dormant in fall (which it just did). I buried Charlie and planted the maple tree on top of him. He loved to climb. I hope he'd appreciate it.
I can't find a picture of him on this computer. Maybe at some point tonight I'll go to the other computer and upload one. I just miss Charlie and I thought people here would understand.
My roommate suddenly came down the stairs, holding my green iguana. "Guys? Charlie's dead."
My mom and dad bought Charlie for me when I was 4 years old, at a reptile expo in Florida. He was a tiny little thing, just a fresh hatchling. My dad always liked to say that he didn't think that little green lizard would live very long. We didn't know what we were doing with him at first, and early in his life we nearly killed him because we didn't know he needed calcium supplements in his diet. We did stunt his growth--a male iguana his age should have been a lot bigger.
Charlie was with us for 23 years. I pretty much grew up with him. He was a wild youngster, an awesome mellow adult, and a crotchety old man. We knew he was going downhill, because he couldn't climb his 4' perch any more and he spent a lot of time not moving toward the end. He would get mad if we touched him, but at his age he likely had arthritis. Still, though, I don't think you can ever be prepared for the death of a pet.
Actually, no. He wasn't a pet. Any animal who's with you for 23 years is family, and to be honest I feel like I lost my little brother.
My mom has a few dogs, and I was afraid that if I buried Charlie at her house they would dig him up. We took him back to my house. I held him all the way. My dad gave me a Japanese maple tree which I hadn't planted yet because I was waiting for the tree to go dormant in fall (which it just did). I buried Charlie and planted the maple tree on top of him. He loved to climb. I hope he'd appreciate it.
I can't find a picture of him on this computer. Maybe at some point tonight I'll go to the other computer and upload one. I just miss Charlie and I thought people here would understand.
