I stood on the patio yesterday as the north wind blew and temperatures fell, and I enjoyed the taste of winter despite a boringly sunny sky.  Yet even as I gleefully sniffed at the brisk, clean scent of cold air, another life shared the moment with me but did not find it as enjoyable.  I bit of movement between the fence post and wall caught my eyes.  It is a tiny space, less than a hand-width across, yet a creature desperate for sunshine but unwilling to face the chilled breeze huddled quietly in that refuge as it tried to capture whatever warmth it could from errant rays of light.  When finally I grew close enough to see it, I recognized it immediately as a female green anole (Anolis carolinensis).  It was simply too cold for her to brave direct exposure to the elements, and eventually she turned her back on the day and returned to her cubbyhole for shelter.

[do check out those back feet; interesting…; it also appears she lost part of her tail at one time if the abrupt, flat end is any indication]