Monday, November 9, 2009

Bufo A. Americanus


Today was another perfect November day. Overnight frost was followed by bright sun light and warm late morning temperatures. Two consecutive rainless days meant everything was right for outside work. As I walked across the meadow that is our yard, something caught my eye. Seeing what looked like fresh wet scat, I deftly danced to the right missing soiling my boot. The scat was in fact a rather large toad. What it was doing in the lawn is a mystery to me. I thought that these guys spent the winter in a shallow burrow under leaves and such. We try to limit our interference with the natural order but Mr. Toad was in my path. A gloved hand moved the toad inside the wall of the shade garden. If it finds the new digs unsatisfactory, a long first hop will take it to freedom.

1 comment:

Helen said...

I read your headline, then read the first word of your blog as "Toady" -- what can I say, it's after midnight. Love toads. Hope he ate lots of slugs for you before tucking in for the winter.