Closure on the Pipe Situation and a New Addition to the Todd Pad

To follow up on the last post, everything was taken care of regarding the sewage line the day after the second "event occurred." Ironically, the object causing all the trouble in our pipe was the tip of a very old plumbing snake that must have been used a long time ago to clear out a clog and that had become stuck and, obviously, had broken off in the pipe.

You could tell how old it was by the layers of rust on it. Obviously at some point earlier in the month the item must have shifted a bit and started snagging things. At least it wasn't something that the kids put down the toilet because in this case there was nothing we could have done to avoid it which sort of makes it easier to swallow the unexpected costs.

In other news, our good friends Bill and Kathryn and their wonderful daughters gifted us (Carter) their beautiful female Bearded Dragon. "Beardies," as they're known in the pet industry, are beautiful lizards that come from Australia. They are omnivorous and will eat everything from grapes and leafy greens to crickets, worms and even small mice and so forth. We're excited to share some photos and videos of her in the future. I guess the Lindsays' two dogs in addition to the lizard was a little much, so when we found out they were looking for a good home for this radical reptilian, we had to jump on it. Sarah, while a bit less excited than Carter and I, is very accepting of her and is content to see Carter excited about having her live in his room (in a 20 gal aquarium). I'm sure as we take care of her, feed her and clean her habitat that there will be an abundance of learning opportunities. Bill even gave us all the associated accouterments including a UV light, supplements to feed or sprinkle on crickets to make them more nutritious for the lizard, a water bowl with magnetic fasteners to keep it from being overturned, etc. Thanks again guys!

This pic is NOT of our lizard Spike (Carter decided on the name but I secretly call her Gertrude or "Gertie") but ours looks very much like this. By the way, she's very docile so even the kids can hold her but I am limiting that in order to preserve her health an sanity. Thankfully for her health, Claire is quite scared of her!