He is doing what he wants.

He is being reasonable with his freedoms too! He isn’t attempting to eat every mysterious insect, and he isn’t walking away from me!

In fact, he rested here for a bit, but climbed the steps of the deck to be by my side again. ….Well, he tried. He slipped. I had to help him. He couldn’t be entirely independent right there.

He ‘shuts down’ if he doesn’t accomplish a goal like that by himself. He also ‘shuts down’ if I bring him inside when he’s not ready.

I’ve called him Mr. Pouty – and you can see this ‘Shut down’ mode of his HERE! But, I don’t know that he’s truly pouting.

I think he might be analyzing what the hell just happened, why I carried him inside / why he can’t harmlessly do as he wishes, and when or how will he be going out again!! – I’m serious! He’s that smart!!

Defiance – At It’s Cutest will discuss, in legth and depth, how determined Lil’ Murph can be when he demands freedom!

‘ The Rebel _______ ‘ video is a rarely seen video of MURPH!! He is such a rebel when resisting to go inside the house!! In this video, you will see him being content – but then, when he knows it’s time to go in – he won’t let me pick him up – and he walks in any direction but homeward!!

Our LIL’ MURPH, that angel that he is, will frequently scramble to release himself of my embrace, often plot to make a vertical drop from my shoulder area (Luckily, I know his body language and the look in his eyes when he is about to do this, and I catch him every time)!!

He even pushes against the air itself whilst I’m holding him to be on the ground and roam freely, he does so as if there is a ceiling above him, and if he could just push for leverage to slide out of my grip, he may descend gracefully to the beautiful grass below!!

Yes, my friends, lizards have personalities AND very strong wills! I likened his will to not succumb to my will of being indoors to the behavior of The Confedency (because I could).

The “Rebel Yell” is a battle cry of fighters in the south of the United States during the Civil War, or as many prefer to call it, the “War Between The States”. This battle cry was heard by the northern fighters, and apparently was quite intimidating! It is difficult to find audio of this yell, and nearly impossible to hear it performed en mass. MURPH is obviously quite silent, hence the title of his video “The Rebel _____”

632,026. That’s a reported loss of human lives from the War Between The States. The most from any war was lost in a country fighting itself!! Read more about that here: https://www.militaryfactory.com/american_war_deaths.php

In the Revolutionary War: “…6,800 Americans were killed in action 6,100 wounded, and upwards of 20,000 were taken prisoner. Historians believe that at least an additional 17,000 deaths were the result of disease, including about 8,000–12,000 who died while prisoners of war.

Unreliable imperial data places the total casualties for British regulars fighting in the Revolutionary War around 24,000 men.”…

That, info regarding the countries that helped us, and more will be found here: https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/american-revolution-faqs

We sat outside last night, and our neighbors put forth quite a show with fireworks (firecrackers made in other countries, and yeah, on the 3rd, not the 4th of July)!! We saw them above the treetops. It was so beautiful!! Cars drove by and honked as a courtesy, or a “thank you”, or “rock on”, or whatever, from the beauty and spirit of it all. That was cool. Gypsy, MURPH’S raccoon sister, was frozen in fear and animals everywhere are scared, that’s not cool, but it doesn’t last forever. Even the wonderful lightning bugs slowed their displays! Maybe they were like, “Sh**… we can’t compete with that!!” : )

If someone stops watching the fireworks and just listens, it does sound like war! Gunfire and the bangs of cannons rippling through the air. I often wonder how many people know why we celebrate Independence with fireworks.

“…And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there,
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?”

That is part of our National Anthem. What does it mean, from which scene in history does it refer? How many Americans really know that these days?

So many people choose security over freedom. Yet, that is not the case with all Americans nor with some of our fellow brothers and sisters around the world. Without freedom, how safe are we, and what do we truly have?

Aww man…. how’d that get in here?!

; – )

“Give me Liberty or give me Death!” – Patrick Henry in 1775

“Give me Lizardry or give me Death!” – Dawn Renée

meme seen here: @nrawomen) Twitter.com