Let’s Go Lizard Fishin’

A few months ago, I was sitting outside in the shade, next to the patio fountain. It was very hot, and I started thinking about how nice it would be sitting next to a shimmering, cool, blue lake, with my bare feet and fishing pole in the water.

Suddenly, I saw a quick movement along the gray-block retaining wall. It was a young lizard, working its way towards a fly. We have a lot of lizards in our backyard, from mini (about 1″ long) to large (about 5″ long).

I watched that lizard for about 30 minutes. Out of about 8 attempts, he finally got a fly. I admired his determination. Of course, hunger is a major driving force in nature.

Then, one of my ‘crazy‘ ideas hit me. Back in college, I was hiking in the local hills looking for plant specimens for my biological illustration class. I sat down near a mossy rock, and a Blue Belly lizard appeared, not more than an arm’s length away from me.

He just stayed put, with an occasional blink, as he stared into my sole. It was as if I could hear him saying, “Feed me nature boy.”

I snagged a small gnat (don’t worry, there where 1000’s by the creek), and placed him on the end of a length of dry grass. I suppose it was about 10 inches long.

I very slowly moved it forward towards the lizards month. Then quickly, with a ninja’s strike, the gnat was gone. Unbelievable! He took it. Of course, I repeated this same feeding action three more times. Then he turned and took off. A full belly no doubt.

Remembering that life moment, I thought, “Why not go lizard fishing.” I could use the small section of my fishing pole, some line, a couple of weights, and of course a mealworm. Almost like actual fishing.

I’d dangle it near the next lizard I saw on the retaining wall and let him snag it. Of course, he’d always get away with the treat (no hooks are used), and hopefully come back for another mealworm. Just like catch and release fishing for me.

With the fountain babbling in the background, my lizard fishing was about to begin. Not the cool, blue lake, but heck… gotta make it work Mr. G.

I sat down on my pallet Adirondack chair (Adirondack Pallet Chairs), with a cold beer, and began fishing. It didn’t take long and a lizard appeared.

Watch the video below to see lizard fishin’ in action! Super Fun!

Now, if I just had a cool pool to dip my bare feet in – that would be heavenly!

Cabana Kit Build

Several years ago, I was at a local nursery and saw a very cool garden shed kit. It was actually called “The Cabana” by Cedarshed, a manufacturer of dozens of prefab cedar kits.

It was decided that I had to have this kit (thank you), and it would become my “backyard fort.” Today it’s called a Man Cave, but when I was little ‘fort’ was the popular term.

One Saturday morning, a half-ton flat pack was delivered to my front yard. I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?”

The only way to get it into the backyard, was to unpack it. I soon learned it was a bunch of panelized pieces with four shingled roof sections. Actually, it looked like I could really build this kit.

The most difficult issue, was where to place it. There was really only one location, and it was on a slope. After much discussion, I hired a guy to remove what turned out to be 20 yards of dirt! Of course, then I needed a retaining wall. There was no way I could have done this job myself. Not cheap, but well worth the cost.

Alright, looks great! The next step was to layout the flooring. I used some retaining wall blocks as my foundation piers.

Once the floor was installed and level, I began putting up the panels. These actually went up very quickly. It was really fun to see it “coming together.”

The challenging part for me was lifting the shingled roof pieces in place. This is really a two person job, but after nearly falling off the ladder and crushing my rib cage, well… it turned out great!

Over the years, I have modified the fort with interior shelves, a foldable desk, side window, a skylight Cabana Skylight Project and a bubble window project Bubble Window.

These kits are nicely layed out for the weekend warrior. If you are thinking about building a Man Cave or a fort, this is a good way to go!