CFFC: It’s a Small World

Tags

bees, birds, CFFC, chipmunks, frogs, nature, Photo Challenge, photography, squirrel, Weekly Photo Challenge, Wilderness Wednesday

It’s a small world and we share it with small creatures. Take great care!

“Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.”

Albert Einstein

This is my post for Cee Neuner’s Fun Foto Challenge: It’s a Small World.

Happy Wednesday!

Wilderness Wednesday: Mud Between the Toes

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frogs, garden, nature, nature photography, photography, Wilderness Wednesday

Growing up, I liked to look at my Mom had a Golden Book of Poetry. My favourite poem was this one:

Mud is very nice to feel
All squishy squashy between the toes.
I’d rather wade in wiggly mud
Than smell a yellow rose.

Nobody else but the rosebush knows
How nice mud feels
Between the toes.

– Polly Chase Boyden

While this little guy doesn’t resemble a blond pig-tailed girl with rosy cheeks in a pink sundress, I think he shares her sentiment. Cool, sticky mud between the toes.

Dad noticed him and knocked on the window. I had to creep into my Mom’s garden, barefoot and still wearing my nightshirt, to take pics, so I got to enjoy the mud too! 🙂

It’s supposed to rain today. I wonder if anyone else will play in the mud?

Happy Wednesday!

Wilderness Wednesday: Love Thy Neighbour

Tags

frogs, humour, nature, photography, Wilderness Wednesday

Love thy neighbor – and if he happens to be tall, debonair and devastating, it will be that much easier. – Mae West

Happy 4th of July to our American neighbours! And Happy Wednesday to all!

Wilderness Wednesday: Baby Frog

Tags

frogs, nature, photography, Wilderness Wednesday

My parents were a little slow getting their pool ready for the summer…and consequently became the guardians of a large family of poly-wogs. They left them to grow up for as long as possible before carefully moving them to a nearby stream. But it would seem a few had grown up and left the nest before the “big move”. Now they are guardians to a new generation of tree frogs, who will serenade them (and get “lucky”) next Spring!

Dad brought this baby into the house to show Mom (who was not impressed), so we had to take a quick shot while keeping it from disappearing. It’s so tiny!

Delight in the Little Things – Kipling

Happy Wednesday!

Z is for Zuma

Tags

#atozchallenge, frogs, nature, photography

My parents live in the country and are serenaded each spring and summer by tree frogs.

One evening two years ago, we noticed a little green frog enjoying the big cushy chair. We named him Zuma.

After posing for photos, Zuma worked his way to the floor of the deck and tried to squeeze himself down a crack between the boards, head first. He succeeded in making a fool of himself, legs flailing hopelessly in the air. My Dad sat closer to try to take his picture while in this ridiculous pose. Humiliated, Zuma crawled under Dad’s boot to hide…

…where he stayed for close to an hour. I took pity on my Dad (the gentle giant) and made a temporary frog shelter (NB: these cups also make great mousetraps).

By sunset, Zuma had left his house to regale his friends of his near-death encounter with the “giants”.

Last year, Little Guy enjoyed playing with Zuma II in the pool!

(We encountered Hogarth last October, and he was not impressed with me).

I’m looking forward to Summer more than you are looking forward to the end of this post, and for those who participated, the end of the a-to-z challenge. It has been a LOT of fun!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to visit, and especially to those who took time to comment. I appreciated the feedback an encouragement! 🙂

 

Wilderness Wednesdays: Zuma, The Tree Frog

Tags

frogs, nature, photography, Wilderness Wednesday

It was cold and wet for the 5 days I was visiting my parents. I had packed one “warm outfit” and I got sick of wearing it…every day…along with my Mom’s hoodie! But the sun broke through one evening around meal time and the temperature rose long enough for us to eat outside. That’s when we met Zuma.

Zuma and his friends serenaded nightly by the edge of my parents’ pool…and sometimes in the afternoon too (the naughty creatures). Zuma was snoozing in the reclining lawn chair – I wonder if he imbibed too much chlorine the night before, trying to impress his lady friends, and woke up in this strange place.

Most of the tree frogs I’ve seen are brown, but Zuma was a lovely bright green.

After awhile, Zuma worked his way to the floorboards and tried to squeeze himself down a crack between the boards, head first. He succeeded in making a fool of himself, legs flailing hopelessly in the air. My Dad sat closer to try to take his picture while in this ridiculous pose. Humiliated, Zuma crawled under Dad’s boot to hide. Now you can see how tiny he really is…

My Dad, the gentle giant, sat there patiently for a very long time, waiting for Zuma to move on. But he didn’t. So I rescued both of them…with a Tim Horton’s teahouse.

Zuma found his way back to his brat pack, regaled them with his harrowing experience, and sang away the night:

“Hello, my baby – Hello, my honey
Hello my ragtime gal
Send me a kiss by wire
Baby, my heart’s on fire”