Lost I did something really stupid today and I am paying the price. I left Angel on the Deck for 10 minutes and she is gone! I am frantic and my world has been torn apart!
Spring had brought about a sense of exploration for Angel and since we arrived in Reno I notice her eating had dropped to nearly nothing. It is quite unlike my boy Babe was. After mating season, he was tame and his appetite grew.
I saw her wanting to get out of the sunroom and thought a nice sunbath on the deck would be a nice change for her.
I forgot to pack her harness and was going to make her a new one, so I opted to leave her leash free. Normally I will put her harness on, attach it to the retracable leash. At least if she gets out, she is dragging the bright red leash and is easily located. But not that day!
I left her for 10 minutes and she was gone!
I alerted my family and they all came out to look. I searched nearby, but she was no where. Their was no wind and the conditions were perfect for a search. I spent all day out side and into the evening, still no site or sound of her.
The next morning I was up early and got out binaoculor and sat on the deck. The night had dropped to 39 degrees. I was worried. Babe had survived colder temps but he was much larger. Still I know how durable iguanas are, so I knew she was most probably ok, just lost.
I proceeded to search the yard in grid style, each 10 feet square, up and down, until I had searched the entire 1/3 acre.
I made flyers and talked to the neighbors. I was crying, it made me realize how much I would miss her, how much I had invested in my love for her, the website, just the emptiness that would proceed.
Every minute of today was spent outside, listening to the sounds, watching the trees, going over every square foot of th 1/3 acre the house sits on.
A lesson for me is how much she means to me, how my life would change without her. All the time invested in her, my website, how she helps me write my books, how empty life would be without her little face.
What was I thinking not putting her harness and leash on her? Well, first I had to make her a new bigger harness and that wasn’t ready yet, half done, but not all the way. I just wanted to give her some sunshine, just wanted her to have a nice lounge on the deck, and now she is gone!!
Oh the pain of knowing it will be 39 degrees and she will be out in the wild, freezing, with all the preditors, I really can’t think of it right now. I have to get my mind off this and think of my plan tomorrow. Got to try to sleep
Didn’t sleep much, my dad was really worried, he stayed up all night and even went out with a flashlight and looked. Poor dad, he is so worried about me and angel.
Nothing, she is just not here. I blocked the yard into squared and looked at each square foot. Nothing. Got our the binoculars and looked in trees. She just isn’t here.
When I had taken her on walks, she had been trying to go under the fence to the neighbors yard, so I called him and asked if I could search in the morning. “Of course”, he said. He will leave his gate 
open tomorrow. Tomorrow is another day.
Got up early and went to church with mom and dad. Lite a candle and asked god for a miracle.
I knew she wouldn’t be up until it warmed probably around 11 am so I errands in the morning with my mom. I drove right by the high school behind me and gave them a few flyers. They said they came up with a plan involving the PE teams, groundskeepers and teams practicing on the field. I was elated and their support and kindness gave me hope.
It was watering day and the sprinkler were on. I just thought of how cold she must be.
I went to the neighbor’s yard and began to sing “Oh what a beautiful morning”, which has become our song. I searched everywhere. I had meditated on her and envisioned her by yellow flowers. There were plants in boths corners of the yard, I looked, but nothing.
I went on the deck and looked out with binoculars.
At about 11:30 I decided to expand my search and walked the block. I saw kids from the school on the other side of the fence and they were looking for my iguana for me!! It gave me hope.
I decided it was time for posting on craigslist, and the animal shelter. I was nearly done and the
phone rang. My brother said “you found the iguana?” I looked out to the back yard and saw the kids gathered by the corner of the yard.
My heart jumped with joy! They had found her where I had been an hour before, just laying there, flat and motionless, a meer feet away from where my mom prays the rosary. In hindsight she was probably wanting to get home but the fence was in the way.I gave them the reward money, though they didin’t want to take it and I found out later that they donated it.
I warmed her up and gave her a few sips of water, I was careful, the had been thru a lot and didn’t want to hurt her kidneys. After an hour I brought her to her little cubby which I had warmed and placed her inside.
She was still bery motionless with little movement. She seemed exhausted and dazed, but welcomed the comfort of her bed. I tucked her in and she slept until the morning.
The next day she was still not walking well. She was acting like she had fallen. Called the vet but in a few days my fear diminished as she recovered and began to eat once again!
Angel was back, my girl was home and life was OK again!!
Never, ever will she be outside without a harness and a leash!!
Thank you god for giving me back my little angel!!!