Yesterday was diez y seis de septiembre - Mexican Independence Day! Austin celebrated with a smattering of well-deserved rain. It rained just a bit, enough to make the ground slightly moist and we are hoping for a little more. There was no lack of celebration at the pond where the "gritos" were loud and persistent. I think it was only one frog or toad, but that frog was LOUD! The shy female leopard frog was there listening and I am not sure if the Mr. was successful with his entreaties. Oh yes, I forgot to tell you the best news! The frog I found in the snake's belly was not our little pond girl. I saw her the day after the snake was killed. She was sitting next to the St. Martin statue. She likes it there - that's how I knew it was her. Totally made my day. When I saw her and heard the frog call, I thought she was being wooed. But -- the next day, I actually saw a toad make that exact call. So the sounds in the video below are of a toad. Do toads woo frogs?? I have no idea!
Oh, and if you aren't familiar with a "grito", it is a loud yell, usually with some good long fancy yodeling thrown in. "The" Grito, or the "Grito de Independencia" or "Grito de Delores" refers to the revolutionary yell by Father Hidalgo that started the Mexican War for Independence in 1810 in the town of Delores. On diez y seis, the air is filled with gritos in Mexico!
http://www.houstonculture.org/mexico/diezyseis.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grito_de_Dolores
I bet you want to hear somefrog toad songs of love? This is a video I took of the pond. Yes, I took it without turning on any lights because I did not want to disturb our singer, so the beginning is just song. Later in the video, I turn on the flashlight to look for the singer and to see the young lady leopard frog sitting in the grotto. The sounds you hear are the calls of a Gulf Coast Toad. I watched him the next night. His throat bubbled up as he sang. So cool.
In other good news, I saw yet another small toad, this one only about the size of a half dollar! So cute. Seeing toads makes me hopeful that we will indeed have some more rain. I haven't seen Ulysses yet, or any other full grown toads, for that matter. I do miss Ulysses and can only hope that he is somewhere safe and sound and that he will come back to me someday before we move from Texas.
Oh, and if you aren't familiar with a "grito", it is a loud yell, usually with some good long fancy yodeling thrown in. "The" Grito, or the "Grito de Independencia" or "Grito de Delores" refers to the revolutionary yell by Father Hidalgo that started the Mexican War for Independence in 1810 in the town of Delores. On diez y seis, the air is filled with gritos in Mexico!
http://www.houstonculture.org/mexico/diezyseis.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grito_de_Dolores
I bet you want to hear some
In other good news, I saw yet another small toad, this one only about the size of a half dollar! So cute. Seeing toads makes me hopeful that we will indeed have some more rain. I haven't seen Ulysses yet, or any other full grown toads, for that matter. I do miss Ulysses and can only hope that he is somewhere safe and sound and that he will come back to me someday before we move from Texas.
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| Little Toad! |
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