The Perils of being Gilbert!

  I try to arise early in the morn simply because I feel better when doing so.  Pop always used to quote old Ben Franklin with "Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise."  I don't know about the wealthy and wise bit but I do, indeed, feel a lot healthier when I am up out of bed with the sunrise. This, also, gives me the added benefit of doing a good many chores before the day warms to an uncomfortable temperature during the summer months.  Things can get a tad humid during the middle of the day here on the Bayou.  So, my day starts early and starts with the "mandatory" mug of coffee!  Here lately, I have had the neatest little visitor join me as I brew the pot of coffee.  A tiny green frog climbs up the wall and sits on the screen of the kitchen window.  There he will stare at me with his big eyes as I putter around the kitchen.  I make sure to talk to him and even "tickle" his belly through the screening.  He seems to like this so it has become sort of a morning ritual as the coffee pot does its magic.

  This morning, I noticed that Gilbert (yes, I named the frog!) had not gravitated toward the window screen.  He stayed on the wall and just stared at me. Hmmm?  Since Gilbert was not coming for his belly rub, I pondered what could be wrong.  Oh, my!  Perhaps I offended him in some way!  (Just joking there, folks.  I really don't go around worrying about offending frogs.  Not often anyway!)  I decided to investigate why Gilbert just sat plastered to the wall.

   I slipped out the back door just in time to see a small Black Racer slip under the Montbretia leaves.  This plant grows from corms that multiply rapidly so the clump of leaves completely hid the snake.  Poor Gilbert must have been chased from those very leaves minutes before I came to the kitchen!  At least the froggy was able to leap to the wall and clamber up before the snake made breakfast of him!  I shooed the snake away from the house and on toward the blackberry patch.  There the snake was sure to find plenty to eat and could do a fine job of protecting the berries!  Gilbert, though, refused to leave his spot on the wall so there would be no belly rubs this morning!