Spotting a Chameleon Hiding in the Thicket

only a tail
gripping for life
holding on
only to catch a bug
that does not suspect
a dragon in plain sight

I only saw the tail.

It looked like a dragon, something from mythical books. But there it was, in my garden, hidden in the thicket. It almost dangled from the leaves taunting any insect that might cross its road.

Its skin fascinated me the most. It really resembled a dragon's skin in my mind.

It felt like it did not belong in my garden.

Long ago, I saw some of them in the garden, but for a while, I did not see any of them. And then I saw this big friend, dangling from the oddest place. Maybe this very spot always supplied the best snacks, and thus why it was hanging out here.

But there it was. Looking at me, while I was looking at it...

As I tried to figure out where the best view would be from, I managed to get right underneath it. I could almost zoom in on each individual bump on its skin. From this close, it looked even more dragon-like.

It is not often that you can get so close to them, not because they are shy or anything, but because they are not always visible.

Most of the time, I am not able to see them. Cliche. They hide themselves so well. It is only so often that the shadows casted against the thicket betray their ability to hide.

They are the most beautiful creatures in the garden, next to the birds that always visit.

They are by far the most hidden.

As the image to the left shows, they become almost one with the leaves, and you need to really look carefully otherwise you might lose sight of it.

Lucky for me, and for us, I could capture its beauty, showing it here, eternalizing its presence.

Either way, I hope that you enjoyed these photographs of this rare friend and find in the garden. I do hope that it is safe, as there are so many dangers in the garden. Always threatening...

For now, happy photographing and keep well.

All of the musings and writings are my own, albeit inspired by the beautiful creature in the garden. The photographs are my own, taken with my Nikon D300 and Tamron 300mm zoom lens.