Last night as I was putting out water for the birds in my back yard, I noticed a small, roundish object in the shallow dish that I keep water in. Looking more closely, I saw it was a toad. I’m sure he was comfortable and grateful for the cool, replenishing bath.
Women’s cosmetics advertise products to plump up our lips or fill out our wrinkles. Well, this little fellow found nature’s ideal way–water.
I wonder what he looked like before he hopped into the dish? Long ago, when I was teaching kindergarten, we had a toad who lived in a glass aquarium that had dirt in it just for him, and also a container of water. During the winter, he burrowed under the dirt and, we assumed, was hibernating. Then we left for Christmas vacation. When I walked into the classroom in January, there was our poor little toad, all dried and wrinkled and shriveled and his water dish was dry.
“Oh, no!” I said. “He’s dead.”
I had to do something before the kindergarteners came in and saw him. On a last, feeble hope, I re-filled his water container and Mr. Toad hopped inside. He sat and sat and sat while an amazing thing happened. He was no longer a shriveled, wrinkled little brown creature. He became plump and beautiful once again, evidently soaking up the water through his skin. So, this teacher had a science lesson and later, so did the children. And, I probably re-read to the class one of my favorite children’s books, Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel.
Anyway, on to this toad last night. I cautiously brought out my camera and, being careful not to disturb him, photographed while he posed. Isn’t he a lovely little mosquito catcher? I hope he stays around!
Darcy and Flora had wild creatures in their backyard in Levi. In fact, once, just before an earthquake, a whole herd of spooked deer sailed across the pasture fence on their panicked flight. And, then there was the panther with whom Darcy came face to face. And, of course, plenty of birds along with her favorite bird, an owl. In their new home on Granny Grace’s acres, they live right among a lot of wildlife. Well, some of it may be the two-legged variety. But those plucky ladies persevere. You knew they would, didn’t you?
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