Vikki the Vet Inspects Izzy the Iguana
Bob is from Botswana.
And Marianna is from Mexico.
Bob is betrothed to Marianna.
That means Bob is going to marry Marianna.
Bob moved to Mexico to marry Marianna.
They live together in Tijuana.
Bob bought Marianna a black spiny-tailed iguana as an engagement gift.
The iguana does not live in Botswana.
But you can find the iguana in Tijuana.
Black spiny-tailed iguanas are also called “Wish Willys”.
Marianna named her Wish Willy Izzy.
Izzy the Iguana.
Iguanas are large lizards.
Iguanas are colossal compared to chameleons.
A chameleon could fit in your boot.
But not an iguana.
An iguana can grow to five feet.
Sometimes Wish Willys look lethargic.
Lethargic is different than lazy.
If you’re lazy, you’re unwilling to use the energy that you have.
If you’re lethargic, you have little energy to use.
Listless is another word for lethargic.
And lacklustre is another word for listless.
Sometimes Wish Willys look lethargic.
But Wish Willys can really run.
Wish Willys are the fastest lizards in the world.
They’ve been recorded running 30 kilometres an hour.
Marianna, Izzy, and Bob are driving to Virginia Beach to visit Bob’s brother Bert.
It may sound bizarre, but Bob’s brother Bert is a beekeeper.
Bert breeds bees at his farm outside of the city.
Bob is excited to tell his brother that he is going to marry Marianna.
Marianna is excited to marry Bob.
She is also excited to introduce everybody to Izzy, her new iguana.
So their drive is a joyous journey.
But it is also a long cross-country trek.
Tijuana is by the border in Baja.
It is by the beach.
Tijuana Beach to Virginia Beach is literally—coast to coast.
From the Pacific to the Atlantic.
Four thousand four hundred kilometres.
When they arrived in Virginia Beach, Marianna and Bob decided to go for a walk on the Virginia Beach Boardwalk before driving the last little bit to Bert’s bee farm.
After their walk, Marianna and Bob sat on the back of Bob’s truck and ate some ice cream.
While they were looking out at the ocean and sizing up the surf Izzy the Iguana licked Marianna’s ice cream cone.
Then Izzy the Iguana got brain freeze and fell off the back of Bob’s truck.
Due to the drop, Izzy the Iguana damaged her dewlap.*
*The dewlap is the flap of skin that hangs from the neck of some animals.
So Marianna and Bob took Izzy the Iguana to a nearby veterinarian.
And that veterinarian just happened to be Vikki the Vet.
A dewlap can also be called a gill on a goose.
A caruncle on a cow.
And a wattle on a wild boar.
“Hello. How can I help you?” asked Vikki the Vet.
“Our iguana just got injured,” answered Marianna.
“What happened?” asked Vikki the Vet.
“Izzy fell off the back of me bakkie,” said Bob.
“Pardon?” said Vikki the Vet.
“Bob’s from Botswana,” answered Marianna.
“And people call trucks bakkies in Botswana.”
“It was my mistake,” Marianna continued.
“Izzy licked my ice cream when I wasn’t looking.
I think that is what caused her to fall off of the truck.”
“Alright. Let’s have a look,” said Vikki the Vet.
After inspecting Izzy the Iguana, Vikki the Vet said, “Izzy is okay!”
“She has a small cut in her dewlap, but it’s nothing serious.”
“I flushed some dirt out of her dewlap so I’m going to give you this ointment to insure your iguana Izzy doesn’t get an infection.”
“So she didn’t do any damage to her head?”
Marianna sighed with relief.
“Don’t worry,” said Vikki the Vet.
“Iguanas are famous for having hard heads.”
And with that peace of mind from Vikki the Vet Marianna and Bob made a beeline for Bert’s bee farm.