A convention

Just as I was about to fill the pond back up the other day, I noticed this convention of baby frogs. It seems as if they have all gathered in the pond  - to hibernate perhaps? There have been hundreds of little leopard frogs in the grasses around the property, on the pathways when we walk, in the lawns and the gardens since about July.

Up until about three weeks ago it seemed there were only about six in the pond. Two huge green frogs, the granddaddy of all leopard frogs and three little guys - one a leopard frog and two greenies... so this convention showed me things were changing. If you look closely you can see them everywhere in the photograph. At one point there were a few on the back of three-legged turtle (it did have four legs, but a raccoon or cat dumped it into the pond and a leg must have come off in its ride to the bottom.)

For the first year of this pond, all I had was frogs. I remember counting them every morning. In the heat of the summer that year, the pond was well balanced ecologically and the water hyacinth covered its surface with beautiful lime green petals and glorious purple flowers. Since I've added the fish and with the tremendous heat this past year, the hyacinth haven't done so well, in large part because of the string algae I suspect... but the fish have grown.

Now that the frogs are settling in I kind of hope they'll go elsewhere to hibernate, in the gardens for example - because the pond isn't that deep and it will be hard for them to survive...but you never can tell Mother Nature what to do. So I suppose it's the luck of the draw.

Today it will be warmer than the drenching chilly sleety rain and winds of yesterday which prevented me getting any photos to post. So I'll check the pond, sweep out the sumach and other leaves that have lined the edges and the bottom, and once again, count the frogs.

I can't count the fish - they don't stay still. I only know I have the ones from last year much to my and everyone else's surprise - 7 big fat goldfish, and at least eight little ones...but the frogs tell the story. If cold weather is nigh, I likely will find little frogs basking for the last time on the rocky edges of the pond.

Hope you get time to bask in sunshine, or sit in a chair by a warm fire, or lie on a hot beach... just some time to stop and count whatever you wish - blessings perhaps?