It’s official: They
are out to get me. Little zombie* frogs, lying in wait wherever I turn.
Seriously. I’m starting to get scared.
I’m certainly
starting to be wary of where I step and what I touch when I am out on my decks.
The next Gray Treefrog to show up after those two in the last post was this
one, on my front deck railing. Really glad I hadn’t actually used the handrail
before I noticed it.
The next day after
that, there is one on the same railing but up against the house, right next to the front
door. Possibly the same one from the day before but I didn’t get photos. (Those
little white markings below the eye are proving good for ID-ing individuals.)
By the time I realized I was running out of time—or at least daylight—a not-paying-attention
hasty exit out the front door spooked it. I think. I vaguely recall possible
motion blurring past my eyes and I definitely heard spooked rustling. Oops.
(Knew that was going to happen sooner or later. I figured the day I opened the
front door and was eye to eye with a treefrog on the screen would be the day I knew
for certain they were after me. Close enough.)
Then a couple of
days later I go to pick up some garbage that’s been out in my drive turnaround for
far too long and sure enough… Oh, hello, little one!
I had an excuse for
picking this one up, for she really was a bit too close to my truck… Running
over a $3 pair of reading glasses, even if they were my favorite, is one thing.
Running over this much cuteness would be unforgivable.
Really neat behavior
became very apparent as I was handling her: She always kept her back full to
the sun as I moved my hand. (It’s been bloody cold at night Spring or not and
she was on the ground in the shade, so you can’t blame her.)
Once I figured I had
enough glamour shots she was relocated a little closer (and in the sun)
to the gnarly pin oak that housed at least one gray treefrog last year… (Hmm, I should check the cheek patch on those photos.)
And then five days
later:
Shed door handle.
Went to get my rake, nearly had a squishy handful of treefrog. (Comparing this
one’s white cheek mark with my other frog photos, he appears to be the trellis
frog from the other post. Makes sense—that’s the shed behind the trellis. He
got to spend the day in the grapevine wreath hanging on the side of the shed.)
See??? They really
are Out. To. Get. Me.
*Never fear, they
are quite alive and well. Treefrogs are beyond cute when they are up and doing something. (Just look at that chubby, warty, bright-eyed adorableness!) But when they are not,
they just sit there, eyes and legs tucked in, little gray blobs… Eew.
