If you had asked me, I would have told you that I was looking forward to the Reptile and Exotic Bug show but thought it might be sort of boring. Yet this guy, Marc, aka Seattle Reptile Guy, blew up any expectations I had. He does many kid presentations at schools and libraries, is completely unflappable, tells funny stories about the animals (full of fascinating information) and deals with 6 year old behavior in a calm way that I envied. Because when two children dropped the Madagascar hissing cockroaches on the floor to scuttle around, it took all I had to act nonchalant. Neighbor, friend and T-ball coach M. was sitting next to me and I thought she might leap into my lap. 😂
Sharky was not one of those who “lost” his cockroach. Marc showed us how they hiss, talked about their undeserved dirty reputation and made the children and adults laugh with his humor. He’s originally from Holland and still has a slight accent although he’s lived in Seattle for a long time.
Before the birthday guests arrived, we got to meet some of the animals. I’m a fan of most reptiles, although I avoided touching some of the bugs. I enjoyed seeing how fearless the kids were though; it was also obvious how much Marc respects and loves his critters.
Obro was not into the animals at all, but wanted to hang out with his beloved Big Brother.
John was unfazed by the ancient tarantula. She’s 39 years old!
Isn’t this tortoise shell beautiful? It’s very endangered but Marc manages to hatch quite a few of them in his house/menagerie. They like cucumber; it was so cute to see them take tiny bites.
She blends into his shirt, doesn’t she?
It was heartwarming to watch the kids with the animals although one guest was extremely aggressive, pushy and LOUD. She drove me absolutely nuts. Her mom was there but did nothing. I had to escape to the kitchen a couple times to avoid becoming too teacherish. I may have occasionally said, “Let’s calm down. Quiet voices. Make sure to share the animals.” Those were not the phrases I wanted to say!
In my era, I grew up with garter snakes and many frogs, so it was no big deal to me, even though this one was a special kind that changed color. To Sharky however, everything was magical!
This fellow was adorable in spite of his scratchy little claws. 🙂
Even Older Daughter, who isn’t into reptiles, showed off her snake handling skills.
There were a few creatures that no one was allowed to hold. This giant African bullfrog is one. It has an extremely painful bite. So, Marc muzzled it with his hand, so the guests could pet it. I think it must have been the model for Jabba the Hut in Star Wars. The big tarantula was off-limits because it can shed its hair and make people miserably itchy. And Marc said that the scorpions are too stupid to be trained not to sting. When I asked him about the intelligence level of his animals, he basically said, “Look at their tiny heads. They’re dumb, except for the tegu. It’s like a pet and has full run of my house like a cat or dog.”
I didn’t think it looked that bright. It was pretty though!
Older Daughter being who she is, we feasted on “dirt cups” with gummy worms after the presentation. There were several dips and chips, fresh veggies and fruits, and pizza, but the desserts were more exciting.
A homemade (scratch) snake cake! OD used the red devil’s food recipe that was our traditional birthday cake for a long time; she also whipped up some Swiss meringue frosting. I spent many years making that cake and it’s NOT easy. I’m delighted to pass it on to the next generation.
Here’s my cool dude in his new sports sunglasses. He loved his party so much!
Then today it was back to normal with some tedious lawn mowing and a brisk walk in the 70 degree sunshine.
I did get a delightful surprise when I came around the corner with my mower and spotted all these bearded irises. My late husband bought them many years ago, in another lifetime. They’re a poignant reminder of how much he loved spring and blooming flowers. Fall is my favorite, but I’m coming around to his point of view!
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