Pond Invasion!

I was out catching grasshoppers..(remember..I am feeding two babybirds)..when I noticed something a bit strange about the goldfish pond. Actually at the moment, it is more a goldfishless pond than a goldfish pond. We lack fish. Which is ok by me, as I always had to feed the fish and clean the pond so you could see the fish. Now, it is more a frog pond! Yep, new name.. The Frog Pond! But as I said, I noticed something strange. The top of this pond is now covered with lilypads. There are a few blooming but mostly it is just the lilypads. I did not have my glasses on but I could make out some tiny little splashes here and there almost like raindrops. This could not be..there was not a cloud in the sky! I walked a bit closer. Perhaps because I had grasshoppers on the mind or perhaps because the eyesight is not what it used to be, but there appeared to be tiny green insects hopping about on the lilypads! Ok..I decided enough was enough..put the glasses on and stop staring at a big blur! Once the spectacles came off the top of the head and down over the eyes like they are supposed to be worn, the mystery was solved!

There, in the newly named Frog Pond was..of all things..baby frogs! Hundreds of tiny, green frogs no bigger than a minute! They were everywhere! On the lilypads, on the irises, in the water and even in the water lilies themselves. From all indications the tiny green amphibians appear to be tree frogs. Hundreds and hundreds of tree frogs! I must admit that I am elated and hope that no birds or beasts take a liking to baby frogs for supper. Earlier there was a turtle in the pond scooping up larger tadpoles but perhaps the frogs will be a difficult catch for a slow-moving tortoise! At least I hope...

While out and about, I noticed a problem with the day lilies. For some strange reason, the blossoms do not open properly. Each morning, I have to manually open the buds. The tops are always stuck together and the bloom will not open fully. I am wondering if this has anything to do with the drought that we are enduring this summer. Perhaps there is not enough moisture to allow the blooms to fully develop or perhaps when the bud was small, the lack of water stunted the growth..I just do not know. Early each morning, I have to go out, separate the petals on each bloom. Once I do, they seem to burst open! I hope this is not something that is going to happen each year, but at least they are blooming. On the other side of the house, nary a blossom from the day lilies. Even the leaves look bad..but then most every plant in the yard is beginning to wither. The drought is definitely taking its toll on the garden and yard, so if anyone has any rain to spare..send it our way! Please!