Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Salamanders

Each year, my inlaws haul our camping trailer to their house and store it for the winter in their yard. They have nice, wide open, mostly tree-free space; we have hilly property that's full of trees.

A few weeks ago, it was time.

As Clarence and his dad worked to hook the trailer to the truck, the girls and I stood nearby with Grandma, chatting. The guys jacked up the tongue of the trailer to take out the cement blocks they had under it. Underneath was a surprise. Two salamanders.

Clarence tried to hand them to Julianne but there was no way she planned on taking them from him.



For whatever reason, she changed her mind.



At first, they were cold and just laid on her hand.



Then they seemed to wake up and started to scurry away. She wasn't quite as keen on holding them anymore.

The girls played with them for a few minutes, then released them into the garden.

Hopefully, Clarence's mom didn't have flashback nightmares to his childhood when he put a big washtub with salamanders under his bed and she, unsuspecting, pulled it out to see why he'd have a washtub under his bed. The dark skittering movements drove her quickly from his room-never to return, as the story goes.
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6 comments:

  1. I can't decide if I think ssalamanders are cute or kind of icky. I think guess I think they ar cute but not enough to hold! Only Clarence....the great legends of his childhood go on. Someone needs to write a book about them! Tell him the piece of metal he brought me works great, I just have to get E. to grind it smooth:>)

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  2. Brave girl....I have a few who would do that to, but not their mom!

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  3. They're cute to look at, but you'd have to work pretty hard to get me to hold one!

    Chelsea

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  4. AWESOME!!! They're so cute!!!!!! I love you guys!!! Thanks for posting about his! (Do you think I like exclamation points? lol.) Anyways, I love you, xoxoxoxoxo.
    ~Victoria

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  5. I agree with Kathy...they are very cute but I guess I dont need to hold one! We find them here sometimes...my son is always very interested in them!!

    xo,

    annie

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  6. don't think i've ever seen a salamander. earth worms, frogs and turtles is about as "exotic" of critters i've held. oh, and i chased a lizard that got into our house once. funny, they "cute" outside, but it was scary INSIDE the house! Wonderful blog!!!

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Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with me!