The Kitchen Porch Frogs.

From the summer of 2008

We have been invaded with little frogs yet again.

They cause some nasty surprises once in a while.

I’m certain the frogs don’t care for these episodes

 and at the time and I don’t either.

They show up every summer like clockwork.

 I think they spend the winters

down by the natural spring beyond the pole barn.

They like hiding in the mop

which I keep on the kitchen porch.

 I have to check and shake it out before using,

because the frogs love the mop

 when it’s damp from being used.

Well, one clung to the mop, even though

it was shaken (not stirred ~ sorry!) out.

I did not realize this, until emptying the sink

 full of Pine Sol water,

which is apparently poisonous to the little frogs…

The dirty mop water drained

until just about empty from the sink

 when these little tiny frog feet started showing

 as the water swirled down…

 and then the legs became visible,

and then the stiff body…. Eeuuwww!

Last week I was vacuuming spider webs

 from the deck and porch roofs,

using the extra vacuum cleaner extension tubes

which are stored outside ~ on the kitchen porch.

 The extra extension tubes are necessary

 for reaching the open beam ceilings around here.

Our vacuum cleaner has a clear canister

which unfortunately allows one to see swirling dusty frogs.

He survived ~ a bit dazed though.

 Almost the worst though, was the frog

 that decided to hide out in the leaf blower.

 Yep he did,

 and he shot out of there like a cannon ball
when I turned it on to blow tree debris off the deck.

Hopefully he survived as well.

 

This little guy  in the photo above is full size.

 He got scared, peed on the table

 and took off to the underside when I approached

with the camera in hand.

I'll finish this off with a warning.

 Check under the patio furniture cushions

 if you come to sit for a spell on the kitchen porch.

Squashed frogs aren't pretty.

 Summer 2009 followup:

I put my garden shoes on - out on the deck,

and thought the shoe felt wet.

Well, that wouldn’t be too weird.

 Maybe they got wet while turning on the faucet

 for some reason or other…

After mowing the lawn

and then doing some other outdoor chores,

 I kicked off the garden shoes on the deck

and slipped into my Birkenstocks.

 Oh yeah, comfy, and what the hay…

One white sock is stained

 as though I’d walked though a bit of mud.

One  toe section looks a bit bloody...

 Nothing hurts though. So ~ Oh well.

 It feels so good to get out

 of the worn out garden shoes

and cool off as the day is heading towards 100 degrees.

The next morning,
while trying to slip on my garden shoes back on,

 something felt wrong…

 It was the desiccated remains of a frog

that I had unknowingly killed the morning before…

and walked around with it in my shoes,

back and forth,

and back and forth

 for an hour while mowing the lawn

and then another hour or so of gardening.

 Toe’d jam.

 

To all the frogs out there…

 STAY OUT OF MY SHOES!

and remember last years warnings...

stay out of the chair cushions,

the leaf blower,

 the vacuum,

 the mop,

and the barbecue grill, etc.

Thank you.