I didn't mean to lie

Yesterday morning I had an inquiry about the rental properties. One of the questions was "Could you please tell me if the place is quiet so that I can get work done?". I had just sent a reassuring reply about the quietness of both places, when an iguana either jumped or fell off the back wall here at the house and ended up on the back terrace.

Loco happened to be out back with Miguel, and Loco loves nothing more than chasing and catching iguanas. He hasn't had one in a while (the last two escaped after swinging around in his mouth and biting him on the nose). So Loco was especially eager not to let this iguana get away.

We had blocked the small gap under the door to the side passageway with bricks and a piece of wood so Maya could go out on the terrace and not escape. The iguana found a small space to squeeze through and off he ran down the passageway into a plastic drainage tube in the front garden. Loco dug at the door and moved all the bricks in order to try to get at the iguana. Miguel put Loco in the house to stop him from tearing down the door and Loco quickly ran through the house and burst through the front screen door and pounced into the front garden.

Miguel took his newspaper and laid in the hammock while Loco cried and carried on trying to get the iguana to come out. Finally I got fed up and pulled Loco out of the garden and dragged him out to the back terrace so the iguana could be left in peace.

By now Luna had caught on that there was an iguana trapped in the garden, and she loves iguanas as much as Loco, so she stood guard over the pipe. I grabbed her and put her in the house too, but she was not a bit happy and whined and growled and paced. She picked at the screen in the front window, so I shut it before she tore it to shreds.

Out back Loco was pounding his feet on the back door wanting me to let him back in. Three times I went back there and yelled at him, and swatted his butt and told him to stop it. It was like swatting a kid with diapers - Loco has thick fur and it did nothing except offend his pride (but only for a few seconds).

No sooner did I get settled back at my computer and Loco hit the door again. By now Miguel was getting ready to go to the apartment, and so as he went out back to get his tools, he let Loco in, and as he went out the front door, Loco and Luna went out with him. Straight into the garden. Loud rustling of plants and whining.

By now I had lost my patience with all of them. I picked up Luna and put her back in the house. I dragged Loco out of the garden and back into the house. And I shut and locked the front door so they couldn't stand there and whine and try to get out. Miguel left, and I was left with an angry dog and cat, who sat and glared at me.

Luna decided to pay me back by throwing up right beside me. Loco pulled the burrs out of his fur and spit them on the floor. Lovely.

Miguel came back for something and this time took Loco with him. When they both came back a few hours later, I learned that Loco had gone to the roof of Miguel's apartment and tore down the pile of concrete blocks up there trying to find the iguana that makes those blocks his home. Incorrigible dog!

And so, yesterday was not the peaceful home I claimed it to be. Sorry about that, it's not always like this. Thank goodness!