December 31. We sometimes find a grasshopper, a gecko or a spider on the wall, which we then carefully transport outside – not always successfully. The thought that these individuals, sitting on the wall so clearly visibly, are the only ones here in the house is questionable.

Saw the largest of all iguanas in the garden again this morning. We had named her Izzy, and had only seen her – until today – on the very first day. I was more and more inclined to assume that Izzy had only seemed so big to us because she was the first iguana and our shock had exaggerated the size. But today she was back, big as a dog, chasing another iguana across the lawn.

Check point: As long as everything I do makes me feel like I’m doing things that are impossibly beyond my abilities, I’m still halfway alive.