I Hadn't the Froggiest Notion

Some people might dance with wolves. We swim with frogs. Or so I thought.

Although I'm not prone to camping in the wilderness, I do enjoy frequent contact with nature. It's mostly the backyard kind and that found along the wooded roads of western Hennepin County. Once seen, I scope it out and research it back home. If the nature page of the DNR website was an actual page, I'd have worn it out already. That and a few Peterson's field guides.

At the moment of this writing, a catbird, a chipmunk, and at least four varieties of butterflies occupy half my attention from my front porch vantage. It's what I call "small nature". It doesn't require tents or boots or long car trips. To paraphrase Proust, one doesn't need new landscapes, just new eyes.

I like to think I am quite familiar with the critters I see on a daily basis. I know the deerpaths where they cross our roads, the places where the turkeys forage for acorns, the spot where the mink pops out of the grassy bank. Yet I was ignorant about the frogs, in spite of their propensity for sharing our pool.

We practice a pell-mell program of amphibious relocation each time we ply the turquoise waters. I prefer a square Rubber-Maid leftover container, while my daughter swears by a ceramic mug. Our techniques differ but the aim is still the same, a frog-free area for floating. They are transported to the small herb garden, the wetlands beyond the fence or the pond out front.

I'd like to thank this picture-perfect summer for the chance to experience the frogs up close and personal. Yes, it turns out they are frogs; in that they come from the anuran or tail-less amphibians, but there are three families; true frogs, tree frogs and toads. It's the toad to whom I owe an apology, or maybe the frog.

But now I know that frogs have long legs with webbed toes, bulging eyes and smooth skin. Toads have dry warty skin, and squat bodies with poisonous glands behind their eyes. Frogs leap, toads hop. I get it now. I just wasn't paying attention; now I know the upside of emptying pool filters.

What we've learned is that 5 out of 10 times the toad or frog will make his way back to the pool and/or there are a lots of frogs in our immediate world.

The other day I rescued two fat toads only to have them hop right back in the drink. Moments later a crow approached the pool apron and plucked the toads out and onto the decking. He took turns treating himself to the toads even as they tried to reach the water once again. They both were toast.

Despite our human and heartfelt intentions, the circle of life goes on.

It is said that as modern Americans, we are woefully without basic knowledge of the nature around us, much less the bigger picture. Most can only struggle to identify 10 bird species. What about you, where do you stand? Wouldn't Minnesotans score higher in this area?