{this moment} ~ A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
{this moment}
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Monthly Archives: May 2015
my favorite amphibian
The moon was quite distracting two nights ago.
Spring in general is quite distracting and I mean that in the very best of ways….after a quiet winter all nature is alive with growing things, singing birds, visiting ducks, opening buds, blooming flowers,,,,,,,and procreating toads.
I have an affection for toads. Thanks to the fabulous Handbook of Nature Study, I have learned some charming basics of their simple yet fascinating ways.
“Whoever has not had a pet toad has missed a most entertaining experience. Toad actions are surprisingly interesting; one of my safeguards against the blues is the memory of the thoughtful way one of my pet toads rubbed and patted its stomach with its little hands after it had swallowed a June bug.” page 170
Every time I read the above quote I am filled with longing for a pet toad of my own. I need an aquarium and a toad. This would currently be the ideal time for finding a toad, I could take a pick from a very many many many of them right out of my own pond. But soon they will be done with laying eggs and hop away again and we will only come across them randomly in the woods as we walk along.
Toads lay their eggs in very long strings of black dots. Soon a jelly will form around the eggs and the tadpoles will develop, tiny at first and then growing little by little until soon a miniature toad will be perfectly formed about the size of a pencil eraser. When that happens, they will hop out of the pond to make their way in the world. It’s so fun to watch year and after year.
Male toads are smaller than the females, which are plump with eggs. All the single males sit on the side of the pond and sing a magnetic song….with the purpose of calling to himself a lovely female.
I sat and watched this one for quite a while, it never moved, and never attracted a female. I hope it had success after I left.
The males are so ready for action that when the kids catch one it immediately hugs their hand or wrist, and needs to be pried gently off. Interestingly, if a male tries to “hug” another male, he knows something is wrong right away and lets go almost as soon as it grips. “begs pardon”
Our dog Parker came to investigate along with us and caught a couple of toads in his mouth. While Sarah and I were yelling at him, he rushed away up the bank with his prize. But very soon he dropped them and started gagging repeatedly and foaming at the mouth. I was telling my friend about this and she said that her dog did the same thing. She found out that the toads spit some kind of nasty fluid which make the dogs drop them….a lovely defense mechanism.
I learned more this morning: “The warts upon the back are glands, which secrete a substance disagreeable for the animal seeking toad dinners. This is especially true of the glands in the elongated swellings above and just back of the ear, which are called the parotid glands; these give forth a milky, poisonous substance when the toad is seized by an enemy, although the snakes do not seem to mid it.” page 173
Other toad facts:
It eats insects and worms.
It doesn’t drink water, it absorbs it through its skin.
It burrows into the ground, typically staying there during the day and coming out at night to eat…also, it burrows deeply into the earth to sleep all winter….awaking in the warmth of spring.
It breathes air by swallowing it into the lungs.
It sheds its skin as it grows, and eats it.
It likes having its back scratched gently.
Its chief enemy is the snake.
(all facts from The Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsword Comstock—a highly recommended book for all nature lovers)
Dandelions and Violets
Please pet me, little girl. ~Billy Cat
I like to sleep in the garden amongst the tulips. ~Snickers
This little boy SETH is recovering from ear infections, bronchitis and a cracked nose (trampoline collision with Caleb)…but nothing slows him down…usually has a glove and baseball at all times and dirt on the knees and under the fingernails. Very rare boy, one of a kind really, and belongs to a proud mama and papa.
baseball, chicks, Tarzan, garden, toads
Guess what I am listening to right now? You’ll never guess so I will tell you.
a hundred, give or take, TOADS.
You see, every spring, toads hop to our property to mate in our two ponds. Part of this mating ritual is the continuous singing and calling sounds that they make to gather each other from hither and yon area lands. The sound is a long sustained high note that falls a half step. Sounds kind of scary, sort of sci-fi. In fact, it makes me tense. I’m trying to enjoy it, though, because it is another sign that spring has in fact arrived.
I’m sitting on my bed with Billy cat grooming himself next to me. My windows are open and gusts of wind blow through, making the wind chimes rattle on the porch. I hung clothes outside on the line for the first time this year.
This weekend was nuts. This was our agenda for Saturday:
1. Take Ethan to SAT’s half an hour away.
2. Target for much needed supplies
3. Doctor’s appointment for Seth, where we learned he had double ear infections and bronchitis.
4. Little League Opening Day for David and Caleb
5. Baseball game for Ethan
6. Pick up prescription at Pharmacy
7. Grace to be at the H.S. at 4
8. Mom and Dad coming from out of town.
9. Go to H.S. for Grace’s play: Tarzan.
And this was just Saturday. Rich and I had to work separately, so he took Ethan to the SAT’s while I did numbers 2, 3, 4, and 7 by myself. No one went to E’s game. Rich was also preparing to preach on Sunday. I went to half of the opening day, and when Rich arrived I left in order to be home to greet Mom and Dad.
David in the parade. (the only player looking at me is my Dave).
And Caleb. It was fun, the weather was great, and thankfully Jacob was home to watch Sarah. I only had to keep track of Seth…who is a special challenge these days because he can hardly hear, what with the ear infections. They aren’t slowing him down any though.
Dad and Mom with my two youngest. I love it. Mom brought me a bunch of perennials from her garden for which I was extremely thankful. Dad played some whiffle ball with the kids outside.
Mom and I
Jacob with his Grandma, who was laughing over the height difference. 🙂
Mom and Dad at the High School.
Sweet Emily and Jacob.
The drama kids performed Tarzan this year. Grace was a gorilla, a spider, and a plant. She also performed sign language for one of the songs. Here is a video of it, but it is important to note that she is not doing the SINGING, only the SIGNING.
I wish it were taped better but this at least gives an idea of the beauty of the song and signing.
They did so well, it was wonderful, I was so proud of them all.
Mom hugging Grace after the show.
Dad and Mom with Grace the Gorilla.
Yesterday was the final performance of Tarzan and I attended it with my brother Isaac and his wife Cassandra.
Meanwhile, I have baby chicks. The post office called on Friday morning at 5:15 am and I went down to get them.
There are 30. And they are so very cute right now. We like to go in the garage and just sit in front of the cage and watch them.
Do you see in the very back of the cage, there is a dangling piece of cardboard paper…little chicks take turns trying to get it off. It’s so cute.
This is what I have:
FIVE each of Barred Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island Red, Brown Leghorn, and Easter Egger. Then, I have NINE Cuckoo Maran, and I am most excited about these because they lay a darker shade of brown than any I’ve owned previously.
Discovered in the woods as I picked up trash this morning.
wildflowers
As I was walking by the edge of the pond I scared a toad (not this one) into the water where a fish promptly grabbed it by the legs and went down deep with it. I gasped as I watched it happen… the poor toad was held by both his back legs, which were half inside the fish’s mouth. It’s little front arms were straight out to the sides with stiff fingers, it was the picture of terror as it was carried away. I watched for a while and it appeared once again with two fish in hot pursuit. I don’t know the ending to the story. I sat by the edge of the pond for a while and also saw a turtle. But the horrors continued when I put my hand in the grass to stand back up. I narrowly missed putting it down on two disemboweled toads! It’s truly a life and death world out there……..
Last but not least, Mom, as I promised I did plant all the plants on Sunday.
This is a little garden Rich made for me a few weeks ago. It was empty and I ordered the animals and flag from amazon. I bought 2 perennials but all the rest were from Mom.
The armadillo makes me laugh.
Happy Monday!
{this moment}
{this moment} ~ A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
Good to be Home 