Sleeping Beauty?

Or maybe Prince Charming?

I was cleaning out some of the ton of leaves that had threatened to fill in our little goldfish pond when the net revealed this palm-sized frog. It was definitely asleep and only moved a little when I gently dumped it out with the leaves onto the grass.

When B came so that I could take a picture, it began to awaken. Look at its beautiful pattern on its belly.

B put it on a rock by the pond and I got one picture before….

it jumped back in the pond!

I sent these pictures to a UF herpetologist and the ID was undecided between bullfrog and pig frog, but leaning toward bullfrog. We have heard  bullfrogs in the swamp across the cul-de-sac and  have had pig frogs in the little pond, so either does sound likely. The very dark color was not what is shown in frog ID pictures for either, complicating it for me. Either way, it was a good-sized, sleepy frog.

Informing the Uninformed

A kindergartner was sharing that he got home from his grandma’s to find  his parents having a party. He was surprised because no one had told him there was to be a party. Another child asked, “Did they have bouncy houses?” A third informed the others that when grown-ups have parties, “They don’t have bouncy houses. All they want to do is drink!”

Mailbox Monday: Something Fishy

 

Hi, High Guys!

Recently a cell tower was erected near our little garden plot in Jefferson County.

“Angels, we have heard on high, sweetly singing…..”    No, wait!

On Saturday when we arrived to do a few chores, there were workers on the tower.

(Well, they might be angels to someone! But the singing was their drill.")

Eventually, we could see three men on the tower and we could hear at least one other on the ground.

This guy was working a a little lower down, but still plenty high.

It was windy. I bet they could feel that tower sway. I guess acrophobia is not an issue for these guys.

Monarchs in a Holding Pattern

On our little beach walk at the lighthouse last Sunday, I was surprised to see so many monarch butterflies in the salt bushes that are no longer flowering, but all fuzzy with their seeds. This coast is known for being the jumping off place for the butterflies that migrate to Mexico for the winter. But the big migration takes place in October and here it was the last of November. These were the dawdlers.

I can only imagine that they were all hanging out waiting for a cold front with a strong north wind to help blow them on their way. They were all in a holding pattern, so to speak. But several were holding each other; they were mating. I took a couple of pictures, but of course they were lousy since they flew further away to  more private spots as we approached.

Cabbage Patch Kid

Last night B came home with our first cabbage from our fall/winter garden. It was of Alaskan proportions. My nose was actually touching the leaf in the picture. (This was no fish picture where you hold the fish closer to the camera to make it look bigger.)

The tiles on the porch table are twelve inch squares.

It is a Savoy cabbage and it was perfect inside. I sliced it very thinly with a blade and then chopped just a little. About a third of it filled a large iron skillet before it cooked down. I braised it with chopped bacon and onion and added a little red wine at the end. It was delicious. Even son, D, who is more of a carnivore ate a full serving and complimented it.

Mail Memorials

 

On Tuesday, we only got two pieces of mail. One was a gift fruit and nut catalog addressed to B’s dad, who, by the way, never lived at this address. The other was a Medicare option ad to B’s mom, who, by the way, never lived at this address. 

Papa died 14 years ago and Grandma died 13 years ago.

But apparently, they live on in the U.S. Postal system.