My name is Matthew and I just love reptiles. I first took notice of them when my brother brought home a common Iguana and I instantly fell in love with him. His name was Oscar and yes he was a grouch. I do not know where my brother got him but I know he was not the healthiest lizard. I took care of him for my brother but one day I went to Oscar's cage and he was dead. I felt so bad but I knew he went to a better place.
That next week I went to the local pet store and begged my parents to buy me an Iguana and they did. I looked and looked for the perfect one and then Ickis popped out and stared at me through the glass and I knew he would be my new green friend. I had Ickis for 13 great years but lost him to a stomach cancer. My wife and I cried so hard when they told us he should be put to sleep and when they took him from me to give him the shot he stretched out reaching for me like he was saying "DADDY NO" and that hurt so bad. But I know he is somewhere special and eating like the pig he was. I love you Ickis and rest in peace.
Now for the my current little friends there is JR my spoiled Water Dragon he is 2 years old and is just like his mother a pain in the butt. Next is chance a Bearded Dragon that I rescued from Exotics and Aquatics in Fridley. His owner did not want him anymore and brought him there and I saw him bobbing his head in the cage and said I will take him and he has been happy ever since. And last but not least is Anakiya my Ball Python she is 1.5 years old and about 3 feet long and a very friendly girl. She loves riding around in the truck and saying hello to the other motorist. I get a good laugh at some of the expressions I see.
I currently live in Champlin and have a beautiful wife and child. Kari my wife and I have been married for 2 years now and just had our first child little Kelly Clayton. I can't wait for him to get older so I can get him started in his first collection.
I got Ickis in 1994 when my family moved to Elk River he started out just this little green and blue streak. I say streak cause he was so fast that's all you saw. My mother was not to fond of him and always told me "If that thing get's out i'm gonna suck it up with the vacuum" he didn't like her either though. He is pictured in the background of this page a few weeks before I left for Basic Training In Georgia at Fort Benning. I came home and he and I were happy to see each other so was my wife because she was tired of taking care of him.
But a few weeks later he seemed kind of different always hiding at the bottom of his cage not climbing the walls like his usual self. And then one night Kari and I were watching tv and she noticed he was at the bottom all day and I looked at him and instantly new something was wrong. So we flew to the only place that was open and it was all the way in Ham Lake of 65 and it felt like forever. They took him in and check him out and gave him an X-Ray and said he had lumps in his belly and they were sensative when they pushed on them. They took us back into this room were we waited for the Vet to come in and talk with us when she came in and said "I'm Sorry but he is in alot of pain and there is nothing we can do but make him comfortable". At that moment Kari and I looked at each other and we started to cry. I sat in that room it felt like forever with Ickis in my arm's wrapped warmly in a towel.
I knew what we had to do but I could not bring myself to say it. So I sat and cried some more holding my friend tightly telling him everything is going to be ok. It's really hard to tell this story without crying still. But I knew that it had to be done so I told the Vet to give us a few more minutes alone with him and she left. To this day it hard to think about that night and when i told my friend goodbye. A few minutes later she came and told me that she had to take him in the other room to give the shot. I was so upset that this was the way it was going to happen I wanted him to see me before he closed his eye's to sleep. She brought him back and He was barely breathing and his eye's already closed and I was so mad that he did not get be with me before he closed his eye's. I told Kari he is already gone and he was not with his dad when he needed me the most. I felt so horrible I cannot explain the pain I felt at that moment.
But Kari finally calmed me down enough to pay the Vet and bring him out to the car and we left. I did not want to bury him any where I wanted him to alway's be with us his mom and dad. So I cremated him at my wife's parents and say goodbye again. I collected his ashes and put them in a nice box where he sits in the living room were we can alway's be together. I miss you buddy and I always look at our picture of us taking a nap together and wish you were here to cuddle with.
Ickis 1994-2006 You will alway's be clanging around in my heart! Just like you did in your cage. Love Dad.