I am beyond heartbroken - Marge and George have passed

 It is with a heavier heart than I could ever imagine that I have to tell the Austin Frog Blog that Marge and George are now waiting under the Rainbow Bridge for me.   They made it from Texas to California without a hitch, in a bait bucket, wrapped in ice, with a battery-operated bubbler keeping them happy for three days.  When we got to California, I had brought a small tank for them, with a good bit of their water from Texas, filled with the bacteria they were used to.  Then, when the movers came, I also had 75 gallons of purified water delivered, so I could set up their 75 gallon tank.  They made the move fine.   They were happy.   For over a year, they were awesome fish who seemed to like California just fine.  But then we bought a house and I had to move them again.  This move didn't go as well.

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I wanted them to be happy, so I bought them new plants and some live food.  They started to become sluggish and had clamped fins and were hiding on the bottom.  Panic struck.

I tried to get help.  I got recommendations for antibiotics.  They didn't work.  I made an appointment at UC Davis.  George died.  Then Marge was crashing around, in obvious distress and my husband called me from work in a panic.  I knew she had to be euthanized.  How do you kill your own pet?  I had heard that freezing actually causes pain when the ice crystals form, so I told him to put her in an ice bath to slow her down, while I rushed to the store for clove oil, which is supposed to be a painless way to euthanize fish. 

So it was done.   Marge and George had personalities larger than life.  They were interactive and funny.  I spent time just watching them every single day.  Feeding them was one of the favorite parts of my day.    I now realize that I can no longer eat fish.  It's like eating dog to me.  Can't do it.   Bye guys.  Thank you for being good fish. 

The Austin Frog Pond Says Goodbye

With a heavy heart, I emptied the frog pond this morning.

This pond began as a project back in 2010, after I lost my job.  I carefully nurtured the pond and its inhabitants, learned a lot about frogs, fish and bugs, and learned a lot about myself in the process.

But in a few days, we move to California because I have a new exciting job waiting for me.  So, I give up this Austin frog chapter in my life.

I will miss them so much.  They became an enormous part of my life.

I thought about keeping the pond going, but the pond was dirty and filled with scary crawly things that were probably larvae of something nasty that the pond filter could not keep up with. Besides, the frogs have largely been staying away because the recent rains have made the creeks much more attractive places for young frogs.  One little toad has been singing for a girlfriend, but he hasn't stuck around. Actually, the pond has been pretty bereft of frog life since the drought last summer.   

The erstwhile goldfish, George and Marge have been delighted with their aquarium inside.  They stopped being afraid of coming to the top of the tank, forgetting about the birds of prey that used to hunt for them outside.  They chase each other and play and seem quite joyful.  They are coming to California with us, transported in a bait bucket with a bubbler, with ice packed around them to keep them cool through the desert.  They will travel with us, the 3 large dogs and the noisy cat, Roxanne to our new house in the SF Bay Area.  Hopefully, someday, there will be a frog pond there.

I won't say goodbye just yet, though.  Because I hate goodbyes. I've also collected a wealth of very interesting Austin insect pictures that I'd like to upload the next time I have some time.

My favorite is, of course, the walking stick!  He really likes my car.

Empty Pond.

Our little female Rio Grande Leopard Frog who had been patiently waiting for friends to join her simply disappeared.  I kept checking, but no frog.  I was sad, thinking that something bad may have come of her.  The pond is very quiet with no fish and no frogs.

But last night, I went out to the street to check for mail and heard the unmistakable sound of a male Leopard frog calling for mates.  Well, I'm guessing that she got tired of waiting for suitors and decided to take matters into her own hands. He didn't sound too far away, and with all this recent rain, there is water in the creek and various other places, so she has places to lay her eggs. Hope she finds him.

The videos demonstrates what she (we) heard.  I took both of these last year of an earnest male frog looking for some girlfriends.  One is labeled Gulf Coast Toad, but it is actually a Leopard Frog, I just didn't change the label.

My little lonely pond

Well, you haven't heard much from the frog blog lately, mainly because there really hasn't been much to talk about.  We only have one little resident, a Rio Grande Leopard Frog who I am assuming is female because she is quite silent.  Every night I see her in the pond and she disappears in the morning.  She used to jump for cover when I came to say hi, but she cautiously stays around, watching me.  I was actually able to finally taker her picture:

 I know these aren't very clear, but keep in mind that I am sneaking up on her with a flashlight, trying not to drop the smartphone in the water!  She is very cute.

It seems like she is very lonely, though.  She just hangs out, waiting for friends to join her.  If we are going to have some tadpoles in the pond, she can't continue to be in there by herself.  I am wishing a froggy boyfriend comes to join her soon.

Sadly, I haven't seen a single toad since the worst of the drought.  I am so afraid that we have killed off our beautiful and charming toads.  I miss them so much. 

We have had a good amount of rain in the past couple of months, so the lack of frogs and toads is simply heartbreaking, as in previous years, this wet weather would have frogs and toads jumping all over the place.  Damn drought. 

Happy Belated New Year!

Let's just say Happy Chinese New Year, shall we?  After all, frogs are good luck in Chinese culture and having a frog in your garden is supposed to bring you money.  I am hoping for a bumper crop of frogs this year!

So far, this winter has been so weak, lots of of critters think it's spring.  These butterflies have taken over the  garden and birds are filling the sky and scouring the fields for food.

The pond has been quiet.  When I come out at night, I occasionally see a Leopard Frog leaping to a hiding place or hear a little "plop" which I know is a frog diving for cover. Always just one, maytbe two. No concerts, so I think the frogs hanging out are females.

The frog population needs help around here after this terrible drought.  For my part, I knew I had to get the goldfish out of the pond as they have proved themselves to be voracious frog egg and froglet predators.




 
Over the holiday, I found a giant 75 gallon fish tank on Craigslist for $100.  It is HUGE!!  It sat in the front yard for a month, but about two weeks ago, we finally hauled it inside and set it up.  Putting 75 gallons of bottled water in that thing was quite a chore, but our well water is too salty, so I had to make several 30 mile roundtrip treks to the water store  to fill up our jugs and fill the tank.

Marge

 

George

 

After running the new filter for awhile, I managed to corral the fish into big plastic bags, carried them into the house and set the bags in the tank for the water temperatures to equalize.  Marge wasn't hard to catch, but George was pretty wily.

They are set up next to a window, so they have a nice view.

Raining all weekend!

The pond is full, the fountain and filter are working well and the water is clear.  I still haven't moved Marge and George into the aquarium, but am putting extra netting over the pond every day because I saw evidence that a bird has been eyeing the pond while I've been at work.  No wonder my fishies were getting shy!   Now that double nets are up, the fish are bolder.  I love that.  Cleopatra is still hanging out at the pond.  I think one other Leopard frog is, too, but I haven't seen a toad in ages. 

I put a little lit Christmas tree on the porch tonight as a festive touch.  Later in the evening, I looked out the window and say Marge swimming around pretty aggressively.  Normally at night, they just stay still.  Are they sleeping?  I think so! But tonight, Marge was pretty active so I was afraid there was a snake or some other menace around.  I checked and all was well.  When I came out, they settled down.  Maybe they don't like the lights from the Christmas tree. 

Changes

The weather in Austin has finally changed.  We have had a few rainstorms.  We have had a frost.  The ground in moist and we have a bit of green everywhere.  Not to say that the heat has passed, though. We are still reaching the 80's during most days and sometimes I don't know whether we will need the Air Conditioning or the heater that day.

I was hoping that the change of weather would bring a slew of frogs to the pond.  I was hoping that all those frogs that had gone underground during the drought and the heat wave would dig themselves out and start partying at the pond.  Alas, that has not happened.  I still see Cleopatra, but she is so very shy and the pond has been sadly still of frog activity or song in the evenings.   I think that we have lost a lot of frogs in the drought and that makes me very sad. The fish have been very shy, too; I think they have seen predators because Marge hid from me when I came to visit today.  I haven't seen any snakes, though, although I sometimes dream of them. We will be feeling the effects of this drought for many years to come. 

Today, my husband asked me if I wanted to know if he came upon a dead frog in the driveway.  He asked me whether I would want to see and take care of it on my own, or whether I would want him to take care of it.  I asked him to take care of it, but now I feel guilty.  I wanted to know which frog this was.  I probably knew him.  It was probably a toad. It was probably one of the two silly toads I kept having to chase off the driveway.  How could I have squished a frog yesterday?  Normally, I keep a close watch when I drive in.  But I was the last one in and I know I was driving too fast.  I know my husband probably just threw the flattened toad into the trash.  But -- I should have buried him.  I should have said a few words and wished him or her well into the next adventure, whatever that may be for a silly toad.  Send him some thoughts, if you will, so that if he gets a  "next time", he might stay off the road; so that he would not be so lucky to have survived the worst drought and heat wave in Texas history - just to be mowed down by a Honda.  Sigh.

But - change happens.  It happens whether you are ready for it or not.  Life moves on.   I have been acutely aware that my lovely goldfish, the ones that started out as tiny .19 feeder fish from Petco, have become little monsters.  Marge is over 4 inches long and George is almost as big.  They have gone from cheap carnival goldfish to mini-Koi.

I have tried to block it from my mind, but I know that they eat tadpoles.  I also know that they are a target for predators and they really need to be moved from their pond.  For  months I have been scouring Craigslist for the perfect habitat for them - a huge fishtank.  I was told that goldfish, due to their generally filthy nature, need ten gallons for every inch of fish.  This means I was looking for a tank of about 75 gallons.   Truthfully, I had no idea what that looked like until I answered an ad from someone who was selling the whole setup for only $100 - tank, filter, stand, extra charcoal - everything I needed.  When I went to look at it, it floored me.  A 75 gallon tank is HUGE!  

Seriously, this monstrosity is going to fill up half a room for two fish.  The two of us could barely lift it when it was empty of water.

This weekend, I had planned to clean the tank, fill it and get them situated.  Still don't know whether I will keep the tank outside on the porch or bring it into my office.  New life for Marge and George!  I hope they enjoy it.  Now, they will be safe little indoor fishies.   Hmmm.  I hope I am doing the right thing by them. They won't get to visit with any frogs anymore, nor will they get to eat tadpoles or survive on just algae. They won't hide from the birds or snakes or other creatures who have considered them snacks.   I will feed them proper goldfish food and they will become docile indoor creatures. I am hoping to move across country and hope to take them with me in a giant bucket, where they will be California fish and maybe live in a pond outside in the San Francisco Bay Area where I will battle raccoons and other California varmints.  

Happy Feastday to St. Martin de Porres (belatedly - it was November 3)

 I found this today and needed to share it:

"Legend has it that if you pray to St. Martin and see a mouse in an unusual place on his feast day, you will receive an answer to a prayer, so I am sending a mouse your way today ..... along with a cute frog, too. "

Cleopatra, the Beautiful Frog

I have mentioned a very lovely Rio Grande Leopard Frog that has been gracing the pond for awhile.  She is just exceptionally beautiful - you can't help but notice that she is special.  She has long graceful legs that she folds neatly under her perfect torso.  She also has an exceptionally long and narrow nose, for a frog.  This nose of hers is actually quite striking and it helps me recognize her from the other frogs.   She is also extremely shy and dives for cover whenever I'm around, so I only get to catch glimpses of her now and then.  Sometimes, I look out the window and she is hiding so that all I can see is her beautiful nose peeking out from under a rock..


I decided that this lovely frog needed a nice name and for some reason, I thought of Cleopatra. 

I swear that  I did not know beforehand, however,  that Cleopatra's nose has been the object of philosophical and literary discussion!  

From the Wikipedia entry for Cleopatra, I found the following:

"In his Pensées, philosopher Blaise Pascal contends, evidently speaking ironically because a large nose has symbolized dominance in different periods of history, that Cleopatra's classically beautiful profile changed world history: "Cleopatra's nose, had it been shorter, the whole face of the world would have been changed."

This passage, however, did not make it clear to me why, exactly, Cleopatra's nose was famous.  Looking further, I found that "Cleopatra's Nose" is actually the name of a theory (From an essay by Neil Munro in his Pathways to Philosophy website):

"The role of chance in history is often known as the Cleopatra's nose theory, first advanced by Pascal and holding that, had Mark Anthony been less captivated by Cleopatra's charms, he might have turned in a better performance at the battle of Actium, with all the fascinating "what if" consequences for the Roman Empire and subsequent Western civilisation that might have followed."

I also found a book called Cleopatra's Nose: 39 Varieties of Desire,  by Judith Thurman.  It is described by Amazon as: "an exuberant gathering of essays and profiles representing twenty years of Judith Thurman's celebrated writing, particularly her fascination with human vanity, femininity, and "women's work"--from haute couture to literature to commanding empires." 

I very much like Cleopatra the frog hanging out in the pond and reminding us all of the role of chance in our lives.  What has chance brought to us?  How many times have I wondered what might have been...

Get Off The Road, Toad!

All this week, it has been dusk or dark when I get home from work.  On Monday, as I drove up the driveway towards the carport, I saw something....toadlike...in front of the carport.  I stopped just short of what could have also been a leaf (with my terrible eyesight) and I saw a smiling toad right in my path.  I shooed him to the the grass, towards the pond.  What a nice greeting, I thought.  Tuesday, same thing, this time, the toad was facing me as I drove up and seemed to stare into my headlights.  Again, I stopped the car, and walked the toad to the side of the driveway, then quickly drove into the carport.  Today -- there were two little frogs in the driveway.  Again, I got out of the car and shooed them away.  I recognized these two guys as the two young toads who like to hang out in the pond.  One of them is slightly yellowish and skinny.  A few minutes later, I came out with a flashlight and there was the yellow toad right back in the middle of the driveway. Knowing that my husband would be driving down the driveway soon, I kept watch and made sure that the toads wouldn't get squished by my husband's car.   

This wasn't the first time I've seen toads in the road. About six months ago, I got a phone call.  "Steph, move your toad."  I came outside and there was my husband, in his car, in front of Ulysses (the giant wise toad who I haven't seen for awhile) who was sitting in the middle of the carport right in the car's path.  I walked with Ulysses and escorted him as he slowly hopped back to the garden and the pond.

Why are the toads deciding that they want to hang out in the street?  Bad place for toads!!!  I confess that two years ago, I ran over a frog in the driveway at night.  He hopped right in my path and I felt just terrible.  I hate hate hate finding flat frogs in the street.  Why?  Are they attracted to the warmth of the pavement as the weather starts to get cooler? Are they hunting on the street?  I don't see bugs on the street.  Frogs are confusing.  Can someone please tell me why the toads are on the roads in the Fall?

Finally! A frog comes back.

For a whole week after our glorious rain, there hasn't been a single frog in the pond.  It made me very sad.  Hercules was nowhere to be seen for days, either.  (Hercules is my lizard boyfriend.)


Friday, my husband reported that "[my] boyfriend" was on the porch and was quite annoyed with him using the recycling bin.  He kept running up the tree and coming back and running up the tree again.  (My boyfriend, not my husband.)  I still haven't seen Hercules, so I hope my husband hasn't permanently run my boyfriend off. 

Then last night, late, I saw a magnificent Rio Grande Leopard Frog in the pond.  She was one of the biggest I had ever seen and was quite stunning.  I was so happy to see a frog back at the pond.  I still haven't seen a single toad, though and wonder what happened to the the three juveniles that had been regulars most of the summer.

Yesterday, my next door neighbor said that there has been a giant toad hanging out around their house for awhile.  I told her that it might very well be Ulysses. They have a very nice garden with more shade than I have, so maybe he spent the hot summer with them.  I hope he visits me again.

What are we, chopped liver??

So, it finally RAINED three days ago!!   This was a serious 2 inch rainstorm that filled the pond and actually saturated the earth.  Awesome, right?  Well, yeah.  But....NO frogs have visited the pond since then.  Not one.   Not a single frog or toad and my lizard boyfriend has disappeared.    I guess we aren't the only game in town anymore.  How sad.  I have a nice full, clear pond and no frogs. 

Fair weather friends!  (I guess that would be drought-weather friends.)

Hints of Rain!

Austin is still suffering from this horrible drought, but we had some very exciting drizzle this morning and an actual short downpour (that lasted maybe 30 seconds).  We might have some more coming so we are keeping our fingers crossed. Do frogs have fingers?  Why yes they do!  Looking for some bit of information on whether there is a special name for a frog's hand, I found the following that was disconcertingly placed on an unnamed/unlabeled "dissection worksheet" that must have been for some poor high school kid's biology class : "To determine the frog’s sex, look at the hand digits, or fingers, on its forelegs. A male frog usually has thick pads on its "thumbs," which is one external difference between the sexes. Male frogs are also usually smaller than female frogs."  So, not only did I learn that frogs and people both have hands, fingers and even thumbs, I found out that I can perhaps tell males and females from their thumbs. Also found out that a frog has four fingers on each hand and five toes on each foot!

Last night, the pond was graced with 3 small toads and one pretty Leopard frog.  Every time I come out to visit at night, I hear a "plop" or two as I come out, which is the sound of a frog diving for cover.  The toads only leave or dive, though, when I annoy them by getting too close or trying to take too many pictures with flash bulbs.  Normally, they will just hang out with me. Whether they are curious or lazy or just don't care? -- who know?  I do like their attitudes, though. This guy let me get pretty up close and personal before he dived down, annoyed at the flash.

The little guy below just stayed put, trying to pretend I wasn't there.

We had a bit of excitement last week with the possum.  Since the first time I saw him, I saw him a couple of more times next to the pond and I thought that he was just hanging out looking for bugs and plants to eat.  Researching, however, I found that possums eat snakes and frogs.  So Mr. Possum is no longer welcome.  I made that fact perfectly clear to him when I found him scrounging in the garden at night.  I yelled at him and told him he needed to leave.  Mr. clueless possum then waddled up stairs to porch and then huddled by the front door as I scolded him.  He showed me his teeth in a very harmless way and just huddled there, with fleas crawling all over his poor little face. With the handle of a shovel, I nudged him back and asked him to turn around and leave.  He would not.   I finally just had to push the poor thing off the porch, while telling him sternly that he was not ever to come back.  He didn't like that one bit and hasn't shown up since.

My lizard boyfriend has been visiting frequently, however.  He has been regularly coming onto the porch where I say hello to him every day, usually sometime between 2 and 4 pm. Last night, I started a new job and wasn't home until 7:00 pm.  When I came home, I found him on the porch where he seemed to be waiting for me.  He stayed there and we chatted (ok, well, he listed to me talk to him) and I threw out some frozen corn for him.  He didn't eat the corn while I was there, but I left him alone and when I came back, the corn was gone.  I really really like that lizard.  He lost his tail a couple of days ago and looks a little pathetic, but I don't dare tell him.  I only tell him how handsome I think he is.  I think his name needs to be Hercules, as he wants me to be very impressed by his push ups and feats of lizard strength and as I tell him, he is extremely handsome.  If I leave Texas, I will miss him very much.

Baby Praying Mantis next to our front door!

Living in unison with wildlife is hard.  You learn to simply accept the departures of your friends.  Life is so precious and can be so very temporary.   I haven't seen the wise giant toad Ulysses in a long time and have no idea whether he has found a better home or whether he was eaten by some hawk or possum.  It is hard to accept that one day, you could be enjoying a laugh with a beautiful creature who has come to be your friend and the next day, that friend has gone, maybe to come back and maybe never to be seen again.  You just don't know.  You can't control it, no matter how hard you try.  Nature is tough.

Oh -- speaking of creatures I was sure should have departed by this time, that damn frog-loving cricket showed up again yesterday.  He is certainly walking the tightrope of life!

Fall Begins

Fall began just a few days ago with a slight cold front, letting us taste a few temperatures in the morning in the 60's last week with a few sprinkles here and there.  That was just a tease though, as since that little break, we are now back in the 100's and haven't seen any more rain. Plants that tried to show us some green are brown again and the grass is just straw.  Nevertheless, that week or so of slightly cooler temperatures and just that little bit of moisture seemed to bring some bugs out.  I clearly wasn't imagining the new bugs as last night, I got to see a frog, a toad, and my big lizard with nice healthy tummies for the first time in months.  So nice to see a nice round-bodied toad!  The lizard, who loves to come up on the porch when the temps are over 100, looked absolutely gorgeous.   When I came out, he predictably ran up the Elm tree in front of the house where he can blend in with the bark while carefully watching me.  I came out and admired him and he granted me a few push-ups.  He was either showing me his virility because he thought me a threat or he was flirting.  I sweet-talked him for a bit and let him be.  I would love to have a lizard as a pet, but would really really hate putting anything this beautiful in a cage.  He seems to have an ideal life.

Today, I was going to fill the water bucket to replenish the pond and saw a small scorpion in the bottom of the bucket.  Normally, all scorpions in my world get killed immediately.  No shortage of these little evil monsters.  But, with the bugs as scarce as they've been, I rethink these decisions now.  Would this scorpion be a good snack?  That stinging tail gave me pause, though.  I would not want a frog to get stung.  So -- I took a pair of pliers and nipped off the stinger.  A drop of poison collected on the stinger as I dropped it in the trash.  Unfortunately, the scorpion seemed not to survive the amputation.  That kind of surprised me, as it seemed pretty minor to just have the end of your tail nipped off.  I guess you can't just nip the evil off some things.  Seemed like such an easy fix, too.

Surprising New Residents and Visitors

A about two weeks ago, there was a big black cricket in the house.  We were in the middle of a terrible heat wave and I saw the cricket and thought: "frog food!"  So I scooped up the cricket into a box and put him outside next to the pond when it started to get dark.  Well, a day or so later, I picked up a rock next to the pond and there was a big cricket.  Couldn't have been the same one, could it have been?  I ignored him.  Since then, I have seen a big black cricket by the pond or on the stairs nearly every day.  I think it must be the same one.  How is this possible?  Granted, this is a big cricket, but if a snake can swallow a frog whole, why wouldn't any of our frogs or toads make a meal out of this guy?  Yesterday, he was nonchalantly crawling on the netting over the pond.  Is he now part of the pond community?  How can this be?? This is not the way we understand nature.  Frogs EAT crickets, they don't share habitat with them peacefully.  Or - do they? Have they discussed the fact that the big visible interfering hand of human brought the cricket here, therefore, he gets a pass?  I wonder how long he will last before being eaten by a frog, toad, bird, snake, etc. ?   Pretty tough cricket.

In vertebrate news, a few days ago, I stepped outside at night to visit the pond and surprised a very rumpled-looking possum on the porch who had been snacking on the veggies and nuts I left for the squirrel.  He waddled away, looking disheveled and a bit bewildered.  He belonged in a cartoon with his very distinctive confused expression, his adorable messy grey hair pointing everywhere and his pathetic little rat tail.  So very cute. I hope he comes back.  The first time I saw a possum, he was curled up on the bottom of my garbage can outside in California.  He looked dead.  I tipped the can over and came back later.  He was gone. He had only been playing possum.  A long time ago, I remember seeing another one on my back porch where I had left a big metal bowl of popcorn.  I had heard an infernal racket and saw a silly possum putting his feet in the bowl, making it tip and clang on the ground as he grabbed a few bits of popcorn. He kept doing this making the same metallic racket over and over.  Clown!

I really really love the diversity of species and personalities we have at the pond.  I feel so privileged in being able to share this world.  Spending time in this world, it is impossible,  I think, not to develop understanding and respect.  I think of long ago when I dissected that frog in high school biology class and thought it was kind of gross, and did not fully appreciate that this was a living breathing creature who could have had a full enjoyable life.  If I had been a child growing up at this pond, I could not have dissected that frog and I would have had to have my mom or dad write some kind of note.  No reason why an artificial frog, with innards, can't be made available to young students.  I understand how you might have to work on the real thing if you were in vet school, but high schoolers? Such a waste of a lovely frog's life.

It is interesting that it took me only two weeks to go from seeing a cricket and thinking "frog food" to thinking of the cricket as a member of the pond community and being something/someone I have some level of concern for.  There is a lesson there. 

Viva La Rana!

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 some frog 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. 

Little Toad! 

The War Hasn't Ended. Killer Killed, But Not Soon Enough.

This morning I brought out a five gallon bottle of water to replenish the pond.  As I poured, I noticed the familiar checkered pattern nestled in the plants next to the rocks that formed the sides of the pond.  Quietly, I went for my tongs and gloves.  As I got closer, I realized that this snake was big, too big for me to just grab without risking getting bitten.

I reached for the spade.  I pressed the spade into the thick part of the snake that was visible - I wasn't sure where it was on the snakes body and I wasn't sure if I was actually killing it, but I could see its tail whip as I pressed as hard as I could against the spade.   I realized that I really wasn't getting anywhere and was probably just causing pain, so I ran inside and asked my husband for some help.  He came out, grasped the handle of the spade and applied more force to the snake's body.  After awhile, he lifted the snake out of the garden and into a bucket.

Looking at the snake, I noticed that it still moved, its tongue still flicked and mouth still opened.  I also saw that it had a large lump in its middle - it had just eaten. I dumped the snake out of the bucket onto some firm ground and struck with the spade several times so that the head was cleanly severed from the body.

I looked at the snake.  And at the bulge.  I ran inside and grabbed my kitchen shears.  (Yes, the nice Kitchen Aide ones I use for cutting up chickens and such.)  Cutting down from the incision on the neck, I found the snake's skin to be surprisingly tough.  When I got to the bulge, I was very careful, but found a very dead young leopard frog.  The frog was kind of smashed.  If the poor frog was alive, I certainly killed it when killing the snake.  I so hoped that this wasn't the sole leopard frog who had been hanging out in the pond every night, the frog I saw early this morning on the porch and said good morning to as she seemed to go hopping off to work.  It probably was.  I buried her in the garden and said a few words.

Toad In The Coal??

Saw another young toad this morning.  He was just about an inch and a half long, which means he managed to survive through this heatwave as a baby toad.   I find that amazing.  But we know that toads and frogs burrow into the earth and hibernate when things get tough.  With this drought and heatwave lasting so long, I wondered how much longer our little frogs and toads could last.  Then today, my husband mentioned a story he had read about a live frog being discovered encased in a lump of coal.   "Impossible", I thought.   Then I looked it up.   Apparently, there have been a fair number of reported findings of live frogs and toads found in geodes, lumps of coal and petrified stumps over the course of the past few centuries.  Most scientists have scoffed at the phenomena, although there have been reports all over the world that are startlingly similar in describing a mucous coat on the mouth and very slow vitals.  Can a toad slow his breathing and function so dramatically that they can actually be encased in coal or rock until released??  Scientists say it is impossible.  But who knows how long toads can stay underground? 

http://www.aquiziam.com/unexplained-phenomenon.html

If all this sounds vaguely familiar to you, you might be thinking of  "Toad in the Hole", an English recipe featuring sausages baked in Yorkshire pudding.  I will not mention this recipe to any of the inhabitants of the pond.

Fire

It was pretty scary around the pond for the last few days.  Labor day weekend started ominously with fierce dry winds.  Then later, inevitably, fires raged in two areas close enough to us to fill our skies with billowing smoke and ash while the news started streaming in regarding catastrophic losses in other areas of central Texas.  We called the county emergency services periodically to get news of the fire to see whether it might be necessary for us to flee.  Thankfully, once the weekend was over, the winds died down and the temps dropped a bit in the evening.  Nevertheless, in Bastrop, just east of Austin, almost 1500 homes were destroyed and over 25 square miles of land, including two State parks.  In Austin, a pricey subdivision lost more than 25 homes. In Leander and Cedar Park, two cities north of Austin, more houses were destroyed.  The two fires near us, one in Pedernales Bend and one near Hamilton Pool road, more homes were lost but the fires are finally under control, as is the central Austin fire.  Only the Bastrop remains dangerous, although it appears to be somewhat contained and they have begun to let some people back into the area.

With the drop in evening temperatures, we have seen more birds and this little one popped into the pond.

This is probably the youngest toad I've seen in the pond. She has been hanging out in the mornings and evenings, while the shy young leopard frog still comes by in the evening.

Everyone is talking about the devastation to human homes, but I can't help mourning the loss of all the critter habitat.  With this drought, there just is no water.  Poor frogs, snakes and toads.  This drought could have repercussions for generations to come.

Perhaps We Need To Hold A Frog Wedding To End This Drought

 Frog weddings are held in East Asian countries to bring an end to drought conditions.  We are in bad shape here in Texas.  I would be more than willing to host a wedding here at the pond.  Wouldn't that be fun?!

(The pictures here do not necessarily match the stories.  I lifted these pictures from the internet from other East Asian frog nuptials and apologize for any copyright infringements).

 
Video explaining the tradition with some beautiful footage:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YO-NgYU6ldA

 

From an article in Earthweek, July 2, 2010

"Religious leaders in India’s holy city of Varanasi have attempted to jump-start the delayed monsoon season by resorting to the mythical marriage of frogs in a desperate attempt to please the rain gods.

“This is an age-old tradition that if frogs are wedded, then Indra Dev will be pleased and monsoon will come,” organizer Munna Lal Yadav told reporters.

During one of several such marriages conducted across India’s oldest city, a priest officiated the Batrachian nuptials to the chanting of hymns from the Hindu scriptures.

Vermilion was also applied to the forehead of the female frog. Temperatures continued to soar to well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit with no rain during the first few days of amphibious bliss.

But rain chances had increased to 40 percent within a week's time, according to meteorologists."

From a 2009 Article in Thandian News:

 Frogs married in drought-hit Jharkhand to please rain god

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Ranchi, July 23 (IANS) Beautiful invitation cards, a feast for nearly 500 guests, a car for the groom and chanting of Sanskrit verses — although all the usual customs were observed, this was an Indian wedding with a difference. Those tying the knot at the special event in Jharkhand’s Chatra district were frogs.
Desperate residents of Simeria block in the drought-hit district, about 190 km from here, organised a wedding of frogs Wednesday to appease the rain gods.

“We believe that the rain god is appeased by the marriage of frogs. Now that the ceremony has been performed, we hope that the district, which has been facing droughts for the last four years, will get good rainfall,” said Vinod Bihari, a priest who conducted the marriage ceremony.

Seva Ram, a farmer, “adopted” the female frog and performed the ritual of ‘kanyadan’.
“I will keep both frogs in my house. It is my duty to feed them as I did the kanyadan of the female frog. We hope the marriage will end our woes,” he said.  After the wedding, sweets were distributed, people blessed the newly-wed couple and prayed to god for rainfall.

Jharkhand has declared four districts — Chatra, Palamau, Lathear and Garwah — drought hit.
The affected districts have received rainfall of less than 100 mm so far this monsoon. As a result, the paddy crop has been badly hit.