The Great Search!

  Considering how many predators there are roaming about the Bayou, one has to wonder how some of the smaller critters ever survive.  While in their own right, they are predators, size does not allow much in the way of defense.  Take, for instance, the green tree frog.  This tiny creature is a predator to bugs, slugs and even tinier frogs.  It has no fangs, no stinger and no claws.  The tree frog seems to be pretty much helpless when it comes to defending itself.  How can it go about its life without being eaten on the first day?

  This morning, I was out near the wild persimmon trees when I heard the call of a tree frog.  I turned toward the large clump of palmettos and searched for the frog.  The camouflage of the critter was superb!  It took me a while to find the frog but when I did, I marveled at how well the green matched the palm fronds. It seems that I do not have to worry about the frogs. It was like searching for Waldo!

  Between being able to hide so well, the green tree frogs reproduce at an exorbitant rate.  A few years ago, there were maybe a dozen frogs around the Frog Pond.  Now there are thousands.  The canebrake is full, palmetto clumps are full, the citrus trees are full and it is not unheard of to find them clinging to the house and shed as they snooze during the day.  It is by sheer numbers that the frogs can continue to exist.  You have to admire a mama that can lay 400 eggs each season!  Of course, out of those 400, probably only a dozen or so reach maturity.  Still, when you think about a thousand frogs laying hundreds of eggs....well, that is just a lot!  Carry on, Little Froggy.  Carry on.

Frogs Need Friends, Too!

  Every now and again, it is sort of amusing to pull a fast one on your friends.  A simple prank can lead to a lot of laughs.  Today, I sort of did just that.  While in the garden early this morning, I found a tiny critter friend trying its best to find a warm spot to spend the day.  A tad of cooler weather had hit the Bayou and the summertime critters were finding it hard to cope.  A little green tree frog had climbed up on the ruby lily leaves to bask in the warm sunshine. 

  About the same time I found the little frog, a friend came calling.  Darlene has not been to the Bayou in a few weeks and she needed a little "fishing therapy", as she calls it.  That sounded like a good idea but, first, I wanted to show her the frog.  "Watch this!" I told her. "I have a little friend!"  I eased my hand down to where the frog was resting.  As soon as I placed it near the frog, it climbed into my open hand.. "Oh, my gosh.  Now you are making friends with the frogs!" she exclaimed. 

  Yep, the little frog and I had an understanding.  I would not hurt it and it would keep the garden free from pests.  Nope, I had not trained the frog to climb on my hand.  In fact, I cannot even be sure that I had ever seen this particular frog before.  Other than the frog trusting me, there was a bit of "magic" in the incident.

  The little tree frog was cold.  While the sun was warming it some, the leaves were still holding the coldness from the night before.  My hand was warm and the tiny frog knew that, by climbing aboard, it would warm faster and could escape quicker if need be.  My body heat was being transferred to the little critter.  After a few seconds, I tried to put the frog back on the leaf.  It was having no part of this action and climbed back onto my hand immediately.  Ok, my little prank was backfiring!  I now was stuck holding the frog!  It took a good five minutes before the frog was willing to leave my hand and go back to basking.   By this time, it had warmed itself grandly and was now able to purely enjoy the sunshine.  Its good to help a friend.....even critter friends.

A Lesson in Courage and Strength

  I watch most of the critters on the Bayou and surrounding woods.  I like them.  I relate to them.  Somehow, I feel that we are kindred spirits. We live in peace and we help each other.  Each, in our own way, reach out to the others.  Yep, even critters have been known to lend a helping hand to those in need.  I have seen cardinals feeding orphaned mockingbirds, an owl and a hawk pairing together during hunts and even mama squirrels adopting orphan babies.  I try to help when I can without overly interfering with the course of nature.

  Back about two months ago, I decided to hike back behind the canebrake.  There are always some fun critter friends to  be found there.  Sure enough, I found a small green tree frog.  The poor thing was being attacked by ants.  I picked up the little critter,  brushed off its assailants and toted him to the Frog Pond.  There he could live in peace with the many other tree frogs.  He sat still in the palm of my hand and I was able to observe him well.  The poor froggy only had one eye.  This infirmity was not due to the ants.  Obviously, the poor fellow was born this way.  I figured the critter did not have much of a chance to survive but that did not stop me from helping it.  At least, I could get him closer to the pond.  I rinsed him in the cool water and lowered my hand so he could climb into the water hyacinths.  The little frog seemed grateful.  I bid him good luck and we parted ways.  

  Today, I found my friend again.  He seemed quite healthy and had nearly doubled in size!  Surely this little guy has been eating well!  He was still in the water hyacinths and was singing a fine serenade to some female green tree frog!  Well now!  My little friend did survive and was doing rather well for himself!

  The whole thing about this frog is the fact that he did not give up.  He could have fallen into the "Oh, woe is me!" trap that people often do but, instead, he plodded along and became as good a frog as any other in the Frog Pond despite his disability.  The frog had grit.  He had courage.  He had strength.  This frog was not about to sit back and bemoan the fact that he only had one eye, which in the froggy world is a pretty monumental disability.  Without perfect vision, it is hard to catch prey and even harder to avoid predators.  90% of people with a lot less problems would whine and complain and ask for handouts.  Not Mr. Frog!  He has a lot more fortitude than to let some infliction overcome him.  I learn a lot from critters.  No wonder I prefer them over people.

Feeling Right At Home

  A lot can happen in just a few days.  Outside chores kept me from doing much in the greenhouse other than giving the plants a drink.  That changed this afternoon and I had about an hour to play in my favorite place. I repotted a few of the herbs, snipped back some of the old leaves and then settled in to watch a few of the critters that have made their homes among the plants.  Several large green anoles and one redheaded skink were having territorial spats on the philodendron while a green tree frog took a snooze on the watering can spout.  Then I heard the fluttering of the wren's wings.  Well, now!  I am sure glad that I waited to water the plants!

  The little wren had been on her nest in the hanging ivy basket the whole time I was working just inches away from her.  This is the same wren that has nested in the greenhouse for the past few years.  She has grown accustomed to my presence and does not even try to "escape".  We are friends.  She lets me check on the progress of her eggs and little ones and I try to help in small ways.  A saucer of fresh water was put on the shelf for her pleasure and the door will remain shut so she does not have to fret over predators.  We made sure to leave her a small opening near the roof so she can enter when she pleases. The greenhouse is the perfect place for her to raise her brood.  After she left, I checked her nest to find that she has been busy, indeed!  Five speckled eggs were in the nest.  Mama Wren will be in the greenhouse more often now so I have to remember not to startle her.  Watering the ivy will have to be scant.  There is no reason to soak the nest and Mama!

  It is times like this that I wish the grandlittles could be on the Bayou. There are so many things that could be learned first hand and so many memories that could be made.  That is not to happen, though, so I will have to document the process in photographs and share those with the kiddos.  All things happen for a reason, I suppose.  In the meantime, I am sure glad Mama Wren is back with me.

The "Greenhouse Affects"...Not to be Confused with the Greenhouse Effect.

  My little greenhouse is my favorite place to be.   It envelopes all who enter with a certain peace.  The place is relaxing but not only for humans.  The warm sunshine soothes while being surrounded by plants invigorates.  The greenhouse really does affect those who enter.  Obviously, critters find the place quite to their liking as well.

  This morning found me watering the hundred or so mini flowerpots that are planted with herb seeds.  These line the southernmost shelves so they can soak up all of the sunshine available.  The recent rains provided enough water to be doled out among the seeded pots and also the other larger plants that were overwintered here.  As I was watering, I began to notice dozens of lizards and frogs that have moved into the greenhouse.  They seemed to be residing together in harmony which is easy to do in such an ideal spot.  Their presence caused me to sit with them for a while.  After being quiet for about ten minutes, I heard a slight fluttering overhead as a pair of wrens entered the small building.  They, too, were enjoying the area.  I watched as they busied themselves building a nest in the hanging ivy basket.  Well, that should be an ideal home for them!

  Being in the greenhouse always brings a smile to my face and a gladness to be alive to my heart.  With so much life happening in such a tiny space, one cannot help commune with nature.  That, my friends, is something that affects us all.  My advice?  Find your own special spot that affects you.  Seek out the one place that awakens inner peace and calmness.  Slip away to that quiet nook that makes you appreciate life and all it gives.  My haven is the greenhouse....yours is?

A Hoppin' Good Day!

  This morning started off with squalls on the horizon.  While Mark told me that "they will pass over", I had this sinking feeling that was not to be the case.  I have learned to never believe him when he utters those words!  There have been far too many times that we have returned soaking wet from fishing trips out on the Bay.  "The cloud will pass over!" is not something I want to hear from him!  I know better!  Water will pour from the sky just minutes after the statement leaves his mouth! Sure enough, those squalls decided to hang around the Bayou for the entire day.  Only quick dashes outside were possible and then were usually to gather tomatoes or rush something out to the compost pile.  

  

  It was on one of those rushed outings that frogs could be spied everywhere!  Those little guys loved the drippy day!  Of course there were the assorted bullfrogs, green frogs and bronze frogs in and around the Frog Pond but I was more excited about the tiny toads and baby green tree frogs that had just morphed from tadpoles.  Most were no bigger than a pea and were so adorable!

  Mark and I found hundreds of baby toads hopping about the yard, dozens and dozens of baby tree frogs on lily pads, and any plant near the pond and lots of adult frogs just lounging about the grass and pond edge.  Am I the only person that loves seeing the yard just hopping mad with frogs of all types?  Probably.  But, hey, at least it brightened a rainy day!

Froggy Days!

  Perhaps it is due to the fact that we are doing a lot of work on the north side of the house next to the Frog Pond or perhaps it is just that I am drawn to the little critters but, here lately, my days seem to be centered around frogs.  I cannot escape the bouncy little guys (and gals!).  This morning, I was not even looking for them and they seemed to find me. Son has even taken to pointing out their quirky little ways to me. Today's critter was whiling away the day in its very own hammock of sorts.

  When Mark and Son started replacing the siding on the north face of the Little Bayou House, we had to do something with some interfering bushes, namely my orange trees.  Nope, I am not moving them.  Nope, I am not pruning them.  I refuse.  I absolutely, positively refuse.  So...the only other alternative was to corral the wide limbs and tie the trees to one side.  This worked well with one exception.  The rope used to tie the trees ran right across the pathway that leads through the yard.  Since this is a well used pathway, things got a bit dangerous.  I was afraid that someone was going to "clothesline" themselves.  The rope was stretched taut and was quite difficult to see so I remedied that by tying shopping bags at three foot intervals.  I now have a beautifully decorated yard...yeah, right.  Anyway, I had no idea that these bags would soon become handy hiding places for froggies. 

  While I was petting a Bronze Frog (yes, actually petting the sweet thing), Son and Son-in-law were discussing deep subjects.  To be honest, I have no idea what they were discussing as my attention was on the frogs and not them.  Only when Son called to me did I venture from the pond.  He pointed to the bags.  Several American Green Tree Frogs had taken up residence in the slings made by the hanging bags.  Cute!! The tiny frogs had found hammocks!  Ok, at this point, those two guys got a bit tickled at their mom being excited over frogs.

  This whole froggy diversion has made me ponder on just what will capture my attention when we move to the east side of the house.   Other than painting the siding, our work on the north side is just about complete.  On the east side, there sits the greenhouse and grape arbors! Fun things are bound to be lurking there!  I do know of two Mourning Dove nests and one Wren nest that could be of interest.  Oh, the things I find!

The New Little "Bayou" House!

  While we are doing a lot of renovating on the Little Bayou House, the new little Bayou House is not ours.  Several years ago during December, Son found a hollow stump back in the creek and lugged the thing home to me. "Merry Christmas, Mom!" was his only explanation.  None other was needed.  He knew that I would love having the stump as an addition to the garden.  Well, the thing did not make it to the garden as I decided it would be much nicer to have IN the Frog Pond.  There the thing sat for years without much attention.  Every now and again, a frog would venture into the stump but, for the most part, the thing sat there looking pretty with its moss covered bark.  Well, since the bullfrogs have moved into the little pond, things have changed drastically.  Not only have these frogs taken over the pond but they have also laid claim to the stump.  I have to admit that they are rather adorable peering out the little "windows"!

  Speaking of these bullfrogs, I have befriended the big male.  He has lost all fear of me and will not budge an inch when I pester the poor fellow. Today, I was actually able to "pet" the critter as much as a frog can be petted.  Yesterday, just out of curiosity, I tied a small piece of jute cord to a longer thin string.  After fraying the ends of the jute, I swung it out over the lily pads.  Yep, that old frog decided the makeshift bug looked awfully appetizing.  The more I would wiggle that string, the more he would give chase.  He and I had a fine game for about ten minutes.  Yes...I do play with most critters here on the Bayou.

  I am still a bit worried about my tree frogs and toads but Son has offered to help me modify the small "bogs" that we created for the clue hunt last October.  These should suffice as nurseries for the tiny froglets if we can get the adults interested in moving into the area.  I hate to make the bullfrogs vacate their new home if we can find accommodations for the other critters!  That way, everyone will be happy!

On A Scale of One to Ten....

  Camouflage in nature can mean the difference between life and death.  It also can mean the difference between starvation and being well nourished.  It is camouflage that keeps predators well hidden while they await their prey.  I come across all sorts of critters that meet the standards of camouflage.  There are those who are so well hidden that it is highly difficult to see them unless there is a slight movement.  These have mastered the hide and seek game.  Their coloration blends so well with their surroundings that there is no need for any other cover.  Mark and I came across a lovely snake today and it was plumb hard to see.  Had I not specifically been searching for a snake, I would have most likely walked right past the critter even though my footfall was only a few feet from the serpent.  The extremely high tide combined with heavy winds had driven the snake out of its usual habitat. Since the marshes are flooded, the poor snake was seeking a bit of drier ground.  I am sure that others were doing the same and I probably did walk past several before I found this one.  On a scale of one to ten, I give this snake a "ten".  It blends well with the mud, marsh and typical bayou mishmash of branches.  

  Our camouflage search led to another critter found in abundance here on the Bayou.  The American Green Tree Frog usually is well hidden among the green leaves of any tree or plant.  During the daytime, the frog sits quite still among the leaves and is so hard to see that many folks do not realize that they are just inches from one.  Most of the time...the frog is well hidden. Today's froggy must have failed during "Camouflage Class".  He obviously did not study well or this frog is completely colorblind!   The bright green coloring that usually helps the frog blend with green leaves did not help our friend today.  The frog chose to spend the day on my Camphor Tree sapling that is in a pot near the front door. It is an ideal place for a frog but his choice of leaves did not suit him well.  The bright green frog was perched upon an equally bright...but RED...leaf!  That poor frog stuck out like a sore thumb!  Froggy....I am sorry but on that same scale of one to ten....you only get a one!  

  Speaking of camouflage that helps critters so well, some just do not get it at all.  There are those critters that, for one reason or another, do not give a flip about hiding.  The gorgeous Great Egret had no qualms about sitting on the tiptop branches of a tree.  The bird did not try to blend with the surroundings nor did it attempt to seek any coverage.  It just perched itself high above the Bayou and sat there proudly preening itself.  The egret had no worries.  It did not flinch when a large hawk flew over nor did it seem to care that Mark and I were watching it.  No camouflage here so rating this one would be impossible!

  Natural camouflage is a fantastic thing.  I often wonder just how many unseen critters are within an arm's reach during my hikes.  

Oh, Happy Day!

  Oh, Happy Day!  Spring is here at last!....and we are in the midst of a cold spell.  After months of warm (albeit wet) weather, we are now experiencing the last cool snap of the season...hopefully.  So, Happy Spring, Folks!

  I just recently wrote about how I noticed that there were no American Green Tree Frogs serenading us at night.  Surely something was amiss with that!  The only resident in the Frog Pond was a single male bullfrog. Well, that has changed!  His booming voice must have awakened his ladylove because now a lovely female bullfrog is sitting amidst the lily pads with this fine fellow.  The nightly song has become a duet!  Not only that, this morning, a bright green tree frog was clinging to the spindly False Indigo Shrub.  (Which, by the way, has decided that it was too early in the year to bloom yet.)  The tree frog was a nice-sized specimen that let me photograph it up close and personal!  The froggy never once left its perch until Ms. Nycto, the Bayou Princess Cat, started getting too nosy.

  When I was a kid, most folks called these frogs "Spring Frogs".   I guess this was purely because of their appearance at the start of spring...just like my froggy of today.  What a coincidence!   The Spring Frog came on the first day of spring.  Speaking of these frogs, I hear that they make great pets.  Folks keep them in aquariums and the froggies are quite happy.  I cannot imagine doing this as these critters are rather loud.  In fact, they are some of the noisiest critters on the Bayou!  Their serenading can be heard all across the Bayou and surrounding area.  At times if the windows are open, their songs can make it difficult for visitors to sleep.  Me?  I find them soothing...loud but soothing.  Another factor that might cause the squeamish to not want a froggy pet...these little guys can squish through the tiniest of holes.  Let there be one little crevice in that aquarium lid and Froggy will make an escape.  You might just find the critter in the shower...in the bed...in your hair...in your coffee mug or any place they desire.  I have had them invade the house on occasion and drop from the ceiling!  Fun times!  

  I do like the little tree frogs and even the big bullfrogs and I like that they herald in a new season.  I think most of us are due a little nice weather for a change.  Sing on, little froggies!  Sing on!  But not tonight. Tonight, you might be shivering in your boots. You had better find a warm spot to snuggle down for the big chill.  

The Hitchhiker

  The weeding project out behind the shed is complete but, as usual, it led to other things.  Chores are a never-ending endeavor around here. Once all those pesky weeds were hauled off to the burn pile, my attention turned to the shed itself.  What a wreck!  Ok, so a bit of organizing was in order.  Ha!  It was more like shove stuff to the side so more stuff could be shoved into the shed.  Yep, it is that cluttered.  I maneuvered stuff about a bit, added other stuff that should not be out in the rain and called it quits.  One of the things that needed to be stored in the shed was a large ice chest.  I lugged the thing up the steps and then towards the back of the shed. We have a mountain of ice chests so this one was just another rock in the pile.  As soon as I sat the thing down, I felt something cold and wet on my forehead! Sweat? Sure I was hot but this was moving!

 A tiny.....I mean REALLY tiny......green tree frog had leapt from the ice chest and caught me smack in the middle of the forehead!  Well, Little Guy, there is no reason for you to hitch a ride on me....but he did. Instead of leaving the frog inside the shed where he might dehydrate, I let him ride on my head back outside.  I knew if I tried to catch him, he might just get lost forever in the dungeon of a shed.  Once outside, I reached up and snatched my little hitchhiker.  Aha!  Gotcha!

  The tiny frog was let loose near where I first found the ice chest.  This little guy must have a penchant for those things because as soon as I opened my hand, it leapt right on the other chest that I needed to move indoors!  Sorry, Little Guy, you will have to find somewhere else to hide....like maybe the hyacinths in the pond.  I really need to clean up this mess!

Not a Happy Ending

 While out in the yard, I often come across things that are a bit depressing.  More oft than not, these sad situations involve one of my critter friends.  It always tugs at the heartstrings to see one of my little buddies in a dire situation.  Today, I found a "not so happy ending" that befell a tiny critter.   It was a tragedy that did cause a bit of trepidation even in my thoughts!  If this happened to my friend, what might be lurking behind ME?

  While out sweeping off the steps, I noticed a bit of spiderwebbing that looked a tad out of place. The silken wad was quite large and lumpy. Hmmm?  That did not bode well for some critter.  Using a stick, I tossed the bundle out to the board path.  I decided to operate and see just what the spider had caught.   After playing surgeon for a while I managed to unwrap the victim.   Oh, my goodness!  A spider had a frog for supper! Inside the silken bundle, a dehydrated green tree frog looked a lot like what I imagined a mummy would be.  Poor little froggy!  

  As I sat bemoaning the premature death of the frog, another thought hit me.  WOW!  What a giant spider that must have been!  To capture a frog, the spider had to be huge!  Ok, I just got a case of the heebie-jeebies!  I turned to stare at the place where I found the neat package containing the corpse.  There were the usual spiderwebs beneath the wooden steps but, for the life of me, I did not see any giant spiders.  Once again, I looked at the frog. "Little guy, who did this to you?  Where is your assailant?  Help me out here, Frog!"  I have been under the impression that frogs eat spiders and not the other way around. 

  I never did find the spider and that does lead to a bit of anxiety.  The mummified frog was found dangling on the side of the front steps which means that I, at some point, came in close proximity to a giant-frog-eating-spider-creature that might attack without any notice!  Ok...I think I will use the back door for a while...thank you very much.

Misplaced Froggy

  The Frog Pond is still teeming with both adult frogs and millions of tiny, baby froglets.  There are also about a billion and one frog eggs and tadpoles hiding under every lily pad.  Green Tree Frogs, Bull Frogs, Leopard Frogs, Toads and Barking Tree Frogs all fill the night air with their loud chorus.   All but one.  On the opposite side of the house a Green Tree Frog has decided that my Hydrangea bush is an ideal home. Here, the frog calls for a mate each night in a solo performance.  Sad to say, I do not think he has had such good results.  He is still single.

  I first noticed the frog about a week ago.  It was late night as I sat listening to the frogs and toads start their jaunty serenade.  I was in the living room and could clearly hear the chorus as it was being sung on the other side of the house.  Being on the north side of the house, the Frog Pond is a good ways away from the southern most windows of the living room.  Still, the sound was nigh on deafening as there were hundreds of voices in filling the air.  Then, a lone frog started chirping behind me. There was nothing odd about this except that water is needed for the egg-laying process and the only water available here was the small pool for Ms. Ez, the dog.  Oh, geez!  I guess this froggy has decided the pool would be an ideal home for his offspring!  

  Then yesterday, I spied Mr. Frog-legs.  He was seeking shade under the Hydrangea blooms.  The day was hot and the sun on his back was not making him too very comfortable.  The cool shade of the blooms was the perfect spot for a nap.  Besides, snuggled down in the plant, he could find many bugs as an instant meal!  Mr. Frog-legs was one smart fellow!  Lonely but smart!  

  Each night since, Mr. Frog-legs sends up his serenade in hopes that his ladylove will come.  Each morning, I find him back in the coolness of the Hydrangea.  Fortunately for him, Ms. Ez has decided that the pool is not to her liking so I am supposing that soon the doggy pool will soon become a temporary froggy nursery.  Just what I need!  MORE FROGS!

Bad time to get out of the pool!

  The American Green Tree Frog tadpoles have been doing their morphing into froglets this whole week.  Between those and the baby toads, the yard is hopping with wee froglets!  It is impossible to take a single step without having a few underfoot.  Fortunately, they seem to be able to flatten themselves enough that a simple footstep does not harm them.  The shoe has to be twisted into the dirt before they have problems.  My soft, leather moccasins seem to do no damage but, just to be on the safe side, I step lightly. The little froglets climb up on anything handy during this stage of their life.  My waterlilies and water hyacinths seem to be a fine perching point for the change to occur.  At any given time, hundreds of little froggies can be observed in the water plants if you know where to look. The green tree frogs' color gives them the perfect camouflage while on the leaves.  If one did not know that the frogs were climbing onto the plants, they might be passed unseen..at least by humans.

  I watched as the little froglets left the safety of the Frog Pond to climb upon the lily pads.  Mostly, this even went smoothly.  The froglets were able to rest and finish their change from tadpole to full frog in the warm sunshine.  One, however, met with danger right at the beginning!  Poor little froglet chose the wrong water hyacinth as its perch.  It climbed up the first stalk to be met face to face by a wolf spider!  Granted this was a smallish spider but it still would have made a meal of such a tiny frog! The froggy spied the spider and immediately slipped back into the water.  Froggy then chose a different hyacinth to use as his exit spot. Meanwhile, the spider sat quite still as it awaited another meal to make its way onto the hyacinth.  Froggy was safe for the time being.  Once he climbed onto the leaf, he sat still to warm in the sun before making the full exit from the pond.  This path led him up the stalk of a Spiderwort plant onto the wisteria vine.  From there he made his way to the top of the arbor to hide beneath the vines until nightfall.  

  Out of the thousands of baby frogs and toads that exit the Frog Pond, a good many will fall prey to such things as this spider.  Predators are many when you are so tiny but tiny or not, the frogs and toads are predators themselves.  They rid the gardens of myriads of bugs!  Love my froggies!



 

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!

 

Friends in for breakfast!

  It just doesn't get much better than this morning.  First off, I awoke to the scent of roses and jasmine wafting through the open windows.  The heavy dew that had settled in on the arbors heightened the aroma so that the entire garden and house was permeated with the delightful mixture of scents. That, in itself, told me that it was going to be a grand day!  Then things just got better.  I had intentions of pushing that lawn mower for a few hours before the sun warmed things beyond a comfortable temperature and when I checked the thermometer at dawn, it was a cool sixty-eight degrees!  That would make the grass-cutting a lot easier.  Now to grab a mug of coffee before heading out the door.

  That was when the friends came to visit.  I had just settled down at the kitchen table when I saw a slight movement to my left.  Thinking that one of my furry friends was munching grass in the garden, I slowly turned toward the window.  Nope, it was not the rabbits who came to brighten my day this time.  Two adorable, little tree frogs were clinging to the window screen.  Aww!  How cute!  I reached my hand to the screen. Neither frog moved.  It seemed that they welcomed my company.  I actually found myself talking to the two of them.  "Good morning, Froggies!"  Neither responded to my greeting.  They just sat and stared at me through the mesh of the screen.

  After a bit, I realized that the frogs were not there for my pleasure.  They were having breakfast along side of me.  A good many gnats had accumulated on the window screen overnight and the frogs were snatching one after another.  Ahh, good friends do good deeds!  I knew I liked these critters for a reason!  

  Living on a Bayou means there are always hoards of insects of one kind or another trying to enter the Little Bayou House.  I have a steady job just trying to outsmart the six-legged critters (and some eight-legged ones as well).  It is nice to know that I have some allies in this battle. Froggies, you are welcome to live in my window as long as you wish..just continue with your buggy meals!  

Froggy, Froggy!

   Just after dark, the Bayou came alive with the sound of music....music of the frogs.  The shrill chirps of the green tree frogs, the warbling trill of the toads and the deep croaks of the bullfrogs filled the air with an unusual chorus.  It was amazing!  I love to hear their singing around the small Frog Pond for once these critters become active for the season, they will consume tons of mosquitoes.  This evening, though, was a bit different.  I had just gone out the back door to feed the new cat, Nycto, when the froggy cacophony began.  It is one of those things that can catch you off guard.  If you happen to be standing in the midst of a hundred or so frogs, the sound can be almost deafening and, well, I was standing near nearly three times that many.  Frogs and toads were everywhere!  Literally....everywhere!

   From my position, I could hear chirping and croaking from every angle even inside.  Whoa!  Wait a minute, frogs are not supposed to be in my house!  Uh oh.  I had to get that critter out of the laundry room and fast!  The tree frogs will dehydrate very quickly especially in a room filled with appliances.  Besides the washer and dryer, a refrigerator and three large deep freezers occupy this room.  The heat generated from all those motors dries the air significantly.  Poor little froggy!  I needed help finding this guy so I called my daughter who just happens to be here this week. 

    After explaining the situation, she and I commenced an all out frog search in the small room.  We moved small items and peered behind the larger ones.  Finally she spotted the frog on the wall behind one of the freezers.  Now came the problem of how to catch a very nimble frog that is in a four inch wide gab between a freezer and a wall. (The freezer being full was far to heavy to move.)  She stretched arm behind the freezer on one side.  The frog moved to the away from her.  She stretched her arm behind the other side.  The frog returned to its original position.  Hmmmm, something told me this was not working!  Ok, so if we both worked together we could get the task accomplished.  She went to the left side of the freezer while I reached behind from the right.  This was enough to cause a major panic in the poor critter.  He leapt toward me, bounced off of my arm and right into the garbage can!  Not thinking twice about it, my left hand cupped over the Froggy and closed around his moist, squishy body.  I had him!  Now to retrieve my right hand from behind the freezer without letting go of my prize. This was not an easy task for an old lady but after a few minutes, I righted myself and headed to the door.  Not two steps from freedom, the frog decided to mount an escape!  He squeezed himself between my finger and thumb.  Suddenly I spied a pair of large eyes peeping out of my hand followed by little feet and the upper part of his body.  Instinctively, I clamped my hand tighter.  Big mistake!  The frog's survival tactics kicked in and he peed!  Ugh!  Well, I could not let go just yet as I was still inside.  Elizabeth got the giggles which, in turn, caused me to giggle and that was all it took for us to become seriously unable to even open the door.  Poor Froggy was now terrified and squirming like nobody's business!  After what seemed like an hour of holding a squishy, squirmy, peeing frog to me and perhaps a lifetime to Froggy, I finally managed to get out on the porch.  Then another brilliant idea!  Pictures!  We needed photographs of Froggy!  She raced to get the camera leaving me with the frog.  She stepped back out to take pictures when the frog had enough of these shenanigans!  He gave one last squirm before making his escape into the pear tree!  

  His leap left Elizabeth and me in another fit of giggles.  We did manage to snap a few photographs of Froggy as he tried his best to hide among the leaves.  Finally, I think he just gave up thinking perhaps if he posed for the camera we would go away and stop bothering him.  Aww, good Froggy!  Now go have some fun with your froggy friends!

The Stalker!

Have you ever had that unnerving feeling that someone or something was watching you?  The feeling that causes the chill bumps to creep around on your back and neck.  I had that feeling today when I was out and about the yard.  I could just imagine those eyes..those eyes that were peering out of somewhere..anywhere. Peering at me..staring at me until it was almost creepy!  I was back by the Frog Pond when suddenly the feeling came over me.  Since I was by myself without the usual accompaniment of Ms. Ez, the dog, I thought it might be prudent to watch my step.  I never know when a moccasin might decide to visit the pond.  There is plenty of food there in the form of frogs.  That might, indeed, lure a snake!  Being extra alert, I made my way through the wisteria arbor and to the pond.  Still the feeling of being watched persisted but I saw nothing.  What was causing this?  Perhaps just my imagination?  I really sort of started missing that old dog even with her ever-bumbling, clod-hopping feet! At least she is good at spotting anything that is a potential critter to chase. But that lazy thing was still in bed!  She decided that an early morning hike was not on her agenda for the day and went back to sleep!

Ok...so this feeling was not leaving and I was bound and determined to locate who was finding me so interesting!  I sat down on the gravel path and decided to stare back..if I ever found the culprit!  Slowly, ever so slowly, I scanned the area.  I started out searching for the most obvious..something large.  Perhaps somewhere a rabbit or raccoon was eyeing me..curious yet too afraid to make their presence known.  I saw nothing large.  Then I scaled down my search.   Whatever it was, must be smaller and closer.  So I looked within a ten foot range..scanning a large circle that included parts of the pond.

I had to chuckle when I spied my admirer!  On one of the large leaves of the Water Hyacinths, a tiny American Green Tree Frog was peering at me!  It was peeking over the top of the leaf as if it was well hidden..and..it truly was!  The tiny frog was the perfect green to sit in the curl of that leaf almost completely unseen!  "Aha!  I found you!"  I told the tiny frog.  With that, I promise you that the little frog smiled at me! He seemed mightily happy that our game of  "Hide and Seek" was going so well!  Now I was "It" but how was I ever going to hide from him!  Whew!  I sure felt better about who was my stalker!

A Healthy Pond is a Happy Pond!

The Frog Pond is alive and well.  This morning after cutting the grass, I ventured back to the pond to view the Water Hyacinths that are blooming profusely.  Yes, these are the same Water Hyacinths that are invasive if allowed to expand beyond the confines of this little pond.  I am careful not to let any escape!  I watch for seeds and never...never allow any to be moved to the Bayou.  There the plant could possibly multiply in mass quantities and clog the waterways.  That would mean an end to the Bayou as I know it.  Actually, the plants that I have growing in the Frog Pond were lifted from the marsh.  Mark saw one lone plant that some not so eco-careful person dumped into the Bay.  He scooped up the plant..like any good steward of the waters should..and brought it home.  While he had intentions of just bringing me an interesting plant, he did a fine service to the welfare of the Bay and Bayou.  In a matter of three years, that one plant has multiplied into probably seven hundred!  My Frog Pond is far too small to house seven hundred of anything other than tadpoles so each spring, I pull all but five plants from the water.  The dislocated plants are composted as fertilizer for the vegetable garden.  There they can do no harm!

As I admired the beautiful blooms of the Water Hyacinths, I noticed that the Water Lilies are also doing quite well. The lily pads are dark green and quite lush.  A lone yellow bloom sat beneath the tall-stemmed leaves.  A number of tiny American Green Tree Frogs were perched here and there on the stalks and leaves of both the lilies and hyacinths.  This is the whole purpose of the Frog Pond..to give these tiny amphibians a place to lay their eggs and then for the little ones to mature enough to keep the cycle going.  The frogs eat so many bugs!

Other bug-eaters were out in full force, too.  Dragonflies were hovering above the pond.  They, too, will lay their eggs in the cool water under the lily pads.  There is enough underwater cover to give them shelter from any predators.  Although, the nymphs, themselves, are probably the most voracious predators in the pond!  These small critters will eat their way through a billion or so mosquito nymphs during their stay in the pond.  Once they mature enough to crawl out and become full-fledged dragonflies, they will continue to dine upon flying insects.

Speaking of underwater coverage, Michael pulled another pond plant from the Bay last summer. He observed a strange non-Bay plant floating about near the pier and scooped it out for me.  This plant was none other than a Coontail.  It is a great plant to have in the pond as it provides a feeding spot for most critters.  Good snag, Michael!  What started as a single sprig of maybe ten inches has grown to fill the bottom of the pond!  This plant oxygenates the pond as well as providing protection for tiny critters.

I am quite happy that the pond is doing so well with both flora and fauna.  A healthy pond is a sign of a healthy environment.  The Frog Pond with its plants, turtles, frogs, toads, dragonflies and water beetles is quite the ecosystem in itself!  It is great to know that it has developed into such a happy place!

Large Mushrooms and Tiny Froglets!

Here on the Bayou, it has been raining most every day.  Usually, this is just a shower or two but still we have been getting a lot of moisture as of late.  I am not complaining as I love the rain!  I especially love to hike around the Bayou after an early (predawn) shower.  I can step softly and the wet grass muffles my footsteps.  It is times like this that I can observe so many things!  This morning, however, I really needn't have worried about my footsteps being muffled.  It seemed that nary a creature minded my being out and about!  Of course, with Ms. Ez choosing to stay in her bed, the critters did not have to be worried about a huge dog chasing them!  Still, it was that quiet time that I truly enjoyed.

As I rounded the back of the house, I came across some of the largest mushrooms that I have seen in a while!  Michael had just cut this portion of the lawn yesterday so I was sort of surprised to see these.  With the ragweed dangling just above them, the mushrooms were sort of pretty even if they might have been of some toxic kind.  I do not profess to know which mushrooms are edible and which might kill you so I tend to just admire them from afar.  And admire these, I did!  Each cap was approximately eight inches in diameter!  I kept thinking that some happy, little gnome should be perched atop the mushroom!

While I was using the imagination staring at the mushrooms, behind me the pond was alive with frogs!  I could hear dozens of adult frogs calling at each other.  Ok..I must check that out as well!  The Water Hyacinths have just about taken over the small Frog Pond again and will have to be thinned yet again this summer.  I sort of hate to do this as right now, these hyacinths are providing good hiding places for the tiny froglets that are coming from the pond.  The tadpoles are transforming into adult frogs and need some safe place to hide from birds, snakes and even the Leopard Frogs that also inhabit the small pond.  This morning there were a number of tiny froglets climbing out of the water some even with a remnant of tail still not fully absorbed.  With all of the rains, it has been a good year for these amphibians.  The pond water is still filled with all stages of the critters from eggs to tadpoles to froglets to adults!  If their nightly serenades are any clue, this cycle will continue for quite some time.  What started with dysfunctional fish pond has been quite the success as the Frog Pond!

Yep, it seems that my morning hike sans Ms. Ez, the dog, was still quite enjoyable.  Large mushrooms and tiny froglets can make me smile any time!