Dwelling
I sometimes go to Hat Creek which is a remote high-altitude Cascadian valley in northern California more or less between Shasta and Lassen. You'll find the Hat Creek Radio Observatory (HCRO) there. I arrived a couple weeks ago for another short work trip. Upon arrival Alex, the head of science and engineering operations, handed me keys to one of the houses on the HCRO campus since it was available. During previous visits I've stayed in the crowded dormitory or slept in a van, so I happily enjoyed the chance to have the large abode to myself for a couple nights.
I loaded in and made myself a bland bachelor dinner in the large kitchen of my temporary home, using ingredients either acquired at the Safeway in Anderson on the way up, or left behind by previous occupants. I then spent the evening catching up on nerdy chores and looking forward to the opportunity to get decent sleep given I'm in such an unpopulated, quiet, peaceful area - away from cell phones, traffic, television, noisy neighbors and all that anxiety fuel.
The sun began to set and I thought, "I should open the curtains so I can behold the view of twilight consuming the trees and mountains around me." As I zipped open several curtains I noticed a weird shadow behind one. Something small and spindly. A spider, perhaps? I poked at it safely through the thick material.
It moved. Eek! The folds in the curtain concealed its actual form. All I could tell was: 1. it was larger than a spider, 2. it had a tail, and 3. it scurried away from the light and thus the shadow disappeared. I had no idea where it went.
Oh shit. Is there actually a fucking mouse in the house? Or a rat? God dammit!! Any hope of having a calm, stressless night went out the window as my monkey brain spiraled around hantavirus symptoms and rodents getting into the cabinets and shitting all over the food.
Fuck. I examined and secured all the cupboards. I picked the bedroom furthest from the kitchen to crash for the evening, and I did manage to not have total insomnia about this rodent intruder. I've managed mice situations before without concern or issue. Mostly I was mad that a perfect, easy stay at HCRO was now ever so slightly less perfect and easy.
The next morning I saw a couple mouse poops on top of the fridge, seemingly laid during the night. Little bastard. But no other signs of any damage, i.e. further defecation or nibbled packaging. I chose to not worry about it for now.
After the long, productive day at the lab I got back to the house, facing another night alone with my rodent squatter. I cooked another bachelor dinner and as the sun began to set I looked over at the shadows once again forming in those curtains. From a distance I noticed the silhouette - my small friend seemingly returned to the same spot, clinging halfway up from the bottom on the other side of the fabric. That little shit!
I approached, with the half-baked thought that maybe I can smash it through the curtain, or somehow capture it safely. But as I got closer it suddenly became obvious: the creature wasn't a mouse.. it was.. a lizard!
Oh! That explains the tail.
Also the lizard's funny feet do look spider-like, hence my initial confusion.
But what about those mouse poops on the fridge? Well, upon further inspection.. those were dead flies.
Ha! I didn't have a disease ridden, cabinet-shitting mouse sharing the house after all. I had a lizard! And lizards are so much more adorable and harmless. Phew!
I felt kind of ridiculous about the needless anxiety earlier, but hey, at least I slept more soundly that evening.
