Bald Eagle Fly Over

I've seen them in zoo's.  I've seen them on TV.  I've seen hundreds of pictures of them.  Today I saw my first Bald Eagle in the wild... so to speak. 

I had filled the bird feeder and then started adding some water to the pond.  As I was standing around this huge bird was approaching at about 50 feet.  It looked just like the pictures.  It was very large and I was awestruck.  What a magnificent bird.  After he was gone I just stood there and then said to myself, "WOW."

Then I started telling folks about what I saw and it would appear I'm the only person in the whole world that hasn't seen a Bald Eagle in the wild.  Can't say that anymore.

Lots of New Visitors and Lots of Pond Ice

We have blue ones, black and white ones, yellow bellied, and yellow tailed and those birds are just the new ones who have never visited our yard before.... at least visited when we were watching.  Of course the permanent residents are here in abundance.  I have noticed that four or five Robin's have also been hang'n close which is unusual in that they usually only stop by for a drink and occasional bath.  I believe all this new activity is because we still have about a foot of snow on the ground and they can't get to their regular winter chow.   So I've been filling the feeder twice a day to help the circus stay hale and happy during this bird famine.

This morning the thermometer was showing -13 degrees.  This isn't a record for Grand Junction but is in the top five for all time low... got that?  Because of the cold the pond has been doing some strange things. 

Yesterday I topped up the water level.  This morning I looked out and the level was about 8 or 9 inches below full.  To put that another way, I could hear the pump suck'n air.  This is bad.  Very bad especially when pumps are in the $700 range.  So I rushed to the garage and got the hose, hooked it up and started filling the pond.  After about 15 minutes the water level was still low.  It appeared the level had not risen but maybe an inch or two at the most.  Where was all the water going?

I started looking for overflows or leaks when I discovered the bridge pond was getting water ON TOP OF THE ICE.  What's that about?  The water was coming over No Name Falls and the ice hole was there but overflowing.  I then realized the water flowing over Humpty Dumpty Falls was iced up restricting the flow thus causing a backup.  This was caused when the flow was diminished because of the low supply of water to the pump.  It's all related.

I got out my handy dandy 6 foot steel persuader and started to chip away at the ice on Humpty Dumpty Falls.  It was slow going as I couldn't get real close because of the snow.  I finally got the hose and just directed the flow to the falls and the warmer water coming from the hose melted enough ice to lower the water level in the Bridge Pond.

So now all is well with the pond.  As I write this the temperature is a balmy 15 degrees an increase of about 30 degrees from this morning.  Very unusual weather for this area.... of course everywhere I've ever lived people have always commented on the unusual weather.

If your getting confused by which falls is which and what pond is where you can see it all with a mouse click HERE to see pictures and descriptions... very neat.

As an aside; I was going to tell you about cannons and cannon balls and then explain about brass monkeys and stacking cannon balls on the monkeys and then the cold coming, the brass monkeys changing temperature causing the monkeys to warp like a cookie flat in an oven, and spilling the cannon balls... this of course has become known as "freezing the balls off a brass monkey."  I also found that the story isn't true so I just wrote about the cold and now I'm feeling obliged to share the story with you anyway.  FWIW Ha!

I also found the largest cannon ever built was in the late 17th century and named the Tsar Cannon.  It weighted 12 ton+ and had a bore caliber of 35 inches.  Now that was a cannon ball.  I wonder how they ever got it loaded into the cannon.

SNOW and More SNOW.... 15 to 18 inches of the stuff.

Snow has been forecast for the last few days.  It was supposed to arrive Monday, stick around thru Tuesday and be sunny on Wednesday.  As strange as it may sound the snow arrived Monday afternoon and it snowed the rest of the day just like the forcast predicted... amazing.  It snowed all night.  It snowed Tuesday until about noon and it was clear enough to see the sunset Tuesday evening. 

Before the snow the yard looked like this:                     Tuesday morning the yard looked like this:

I waded through the snow to feed the birds.  In fact, I fed the birds twice on Tuesday for no other reason than I felt sorry for the little guys as all their food sources were buried in over a foot of snow.  A Coopers Hawk came buy Tuesday afternoon and searched each tree for birds.  It spooked a couple out of the trees but didn't have any success in catching them although it tried.  Exciting to watch.

I also waded through the snow to shake the trees next to the fence before their branches split because of the snow piled on them.  By the fence the snow had drifted to about 3 feet.  Getting the snow off the branches was a good thing.... for the trees.

So now it's evening and the skies have cleared and it is supposed to stay that way until Friday when it supposed to snow again.  Because the skies are clear and the snow is on the ground the weather guru's say we will have a inversion where the cold air is trapped on the ground.... tonights low is forecast to be -3 degrees.  The high temperature on Wednesday is supposed to be a balmy 18... WhooHoo!

Our house is well insulated.  We have a good enough furnace.  We have plenty of blankets.  We have a gas fireplace in case the heater goes south or the power fails.  We have food in the cupboards.  We are ready.  Bring it on Ma Nature... I ain't scared.  It's just winter!

Brrrrr... Winter Has Arrived

For the past four or five days the morning low has been in the single digits.  On top of that the wind has been blowing.  I was surprised that one of the first casualties of the cold was Hector the spitting frog.  His stream of water got smaller and smaller and the ice build up from his nose down toward the pond was getting bigger and bigger until there was nothing coming out.  Hector quit being a spitter and started being the poster frog for this freezing weather.

I'm sure Hector will once again spit like a champ and probably before spring... we just need a few days of warmth to set things right.

In the mean time the birds continue to attract the raptors of our clime and this keeps everybirdy on their toes... so to speak.

Snow is forecast to start tomorrow (Sunday) evening and continue on and off for the better part of the coming week.  Once is starts snowing it usually warms some and I expect the single digit temperatures to abate for a while.  There is no doubt they will be back as January is the the coldest month for Grand Junction.

The pond water will continue to flow and the ice will become more than a foot thick in the bridge pond where the water moves the slowest.  It is truly a different look than what one pictures in their minds eye when a pond is introduced to a conversation.  Many people shut down their ponds for the winter but we prefer to keep it running and enjoy the different and sometime spectacular influence the winter season brings to the pond environment.

Coming Soon!

I used to have a sailboat named Coming Soon but of course this isn't the forum to talk about sailing.  I just wanted to post a quick blurb to let y'all know that the hawks have been actively patrolling my back yard and I haven't had to feed the birds since Sunday because they have not been hang'n around to chat it up with the hawks.

Don't give up on my BLOG.... it's just a slow time of year.

Turtle Explodes!!!

The turtle pictured to the right is no more. He was a good turtle and did his job well. His job was to fill the pond 3 times a day. Not all that demanding but something the turtle, named Alejandro, did every day when it wasn't freezing.

The story of his demise isn't all that long so I'm going to sate your curiosity.

On Monday evening we were watching the news when the weather man said we were going to have our first "hard freeze." Anyone who has ever lived in cold country and also has a sprinkler system will understand that this means you had best blow the water out of the system or come spring it will be squirting water all over the place. On top of that your anti-siphon thing-a-ma-jig (as in expensive) will probably break from the ice. Anyway, I had to blow out the sprinkler system.

I fired up the compressor and started in zone 1 and worked my way through all the zones. The last chore was to blow out the water line that fed the pond. I blew out the water in the line but wanted to blow out the lines leading to the turtle.

To shorten the story a bit I'll just leave it to say I guess a hundred pounds of air was a bit more than 'ol Al could handle.

The pictures left and below show all that remains of him.

With the water line full of air I opened the valve with the intent of letting the air blow out any water left in the line between the valve and Alejandro. As soon as I opened the valve there was an explosion. Not just a pop like a balloon but this turtle exploded!

BOOM!!

Lucky for me I was about 3 feet away from this, has been, turtle. I looked around to try and see what had happened and I saw the turtles head, internal hose and cute little tail dangling from the water line.

The largest piece of the turtle surviving is what you see in these pictures. I think most of him is now residing at the bottom of the skimmer pond. What I could find were a bunch pieces of the turtle no larger than about an inch.

I decided to do my own investigation as to why Alejandro blew up. It wasn't all that hard with his shell was out of the way. When the valve was opened the volume of air was such the green hose blew up like a balloon and 'ol Al wasn't up to working under pressure around 100 PSI.

So here's to Alejandro. His service now complete. He just couldn't handle the pressure.

R.I.P.

Coop Stopped By

Coop is actually a Cooper's Hawk. I discussed this marvelous bird last November in this post.  It isn't surprising that nothing has changed but I did get some pictures that I thought I would share. 

This picture (left) I selected because it shows the talons nicely.  The bird is just a marvel to watch.

My thought in providing the picture to the right was to show the contrast between Coop's breast and back.  If you look closely you will see the band near the base of his tail.  Actually there are two bands which is very helpful in identifying the bird.

With a wing spread of around 2 feet, which is rather small me thinks, it still radiates a powerful presence.

Take a few minutes and click on the link above and read about this awesome creature.

The Amazing Walking Stick... The Insect

I was taking out the trash after dinner the other evening and noticed the pictured insect on the window screen.  She (most are anyway so it's a good bet she is in fact a she) is 4 to 5 inches long and a nice light brown, almost a beige.  I was surprised to see her as I thought they only lived in tropical climes.

As usual in preparation to writing this post I checked out Walking Stick Insects on the Internet and found some very interesting facts about them, interesting to me anyway.

There are over 3000 different types of Walking Sticks know to exist.  They come in all sorts of colors, sizes and textures.  Some are plain like the young lady I found and some are hairy, some bumpy.  There has to be a Walking Stick that will appeal to most everyone.  The largest one was measured at 21 inches counting it's legs.

You don't have to worry about them taking a bite out of you as they only eat leaves with one exception.  The exception is when the Walking Sticks molt, they are known to consume the outgrown shell. The eat mostly at night and just hang around the trees and shrubs during the day. 

They aren't defenseless creatures either.  They will sacrifice a leg if necessary and grow a replacement in the next couple of molt cycles.  They also will regurgitate a foul smelling substance and if necessary spit it at the predator who dares to get too close.  I'm happy to report that I experienced none of this when taking it's picture.

Many folks take Walking Sticks as pets.  While interesting for a short time I would think one would tire of them fairly soon as they don't do much.  I suppose they would be good pets if you could teach them to roll over or shake hands.  There are many examples of "imported" creatures creating ecological havoc because they are imported.  Don't add to that problem and be prepared to dispose of the creature properly to protect our environment.

The most interesting thing about Walking Sticks is the female don't need a male to reproduce.  They will lay their eggs (actually they just let them drop to the ground) and when they hatch, up to 3 years later, they will all be females and identical to their mother (clones?).  The female does emit a pheromone to attract males but it sounds to me like that isn't necessary to make babies but the male is necessary to make male offspring.  The eggs have a very hard shell and the hatchling will emerge by opening the shell via a hing they create.

This is a very interesting insect.  I hope you may be inspired to find out more about them.

Fall Flock Stops by for a Bath

A new visitor to the yard caught my eye this past week.  I'm think'n these birds must be on their way south for the winter as I've not seen them in the past.  They are European Starlings and from what I've read about them it seems odd that I haven't seen them before.

This is another of the imported creatures as discussed in this post.  In my efforts to identify the pictured bird I was surprised, when I came across the name Starling, to find pages and pages of blogs and web sites advocating the annihilation of the bird.  It appear the problem with this bird is it builds nests in man made structures, poops and "can overcome buildings," whatever that means. Some say it's the third trashiest bird alive after the pigeon and sparrow.  Glad they haven't met my neighbor or they would be advocating the annihilation of neighbors too. 

There were about 80 birds imported from Europe that were released in New York City's Central Park back in 1890.  These 80 +/- starlings are believed to be the descendants of the more than 200 million birds now making North America their home.  Personally, I would have to consider the possibility of, just maybe, someone importing a few since 1890 to add to the genetic pool.

In my ever so humble opinion the bird is pretty with fairly brilliant coloring even in black and white because the black is very black and the white is very white.  It's about the size of a Robin Red Breast.  I can't speak to it's demeanor but it sure is pretty to look at.  They have different appearances depending on their stage of life... fledgling, non-mating adult and mating adult.  Each stage has different colors and markings.

The starling is related to the Mynah Bird (sometimes spelled Myna).  If you've never seen a Mynah Bird they are quite entertaining in that they can mimic words and sounds similar to a parrot.  I've seen them at pet shops, fairs, circus side shows and have always been entertained and somewhat amazed at the abilities of the Mynah Bird.  I've read reports of starlings mimicking car alarms and sirens. 

One of the noted behaviors of the starling is the large flocks in flight and how they fly and turn creating complex shapes in the sky.  Something maybe even the annihilators might enjoy.

Another member of the starling family is the Grackle.  I first saw Grackles when I lived in Corpus Christi, Texas.  They were in the malls and grocery store parking lots awaiting cars to park.  Once parked they would approach the front of the car and pick off bugs that were smashed onto the car.  They were happy to get the bugs and you didn't even have to give them a tip.

Starlings appear to be adaptable, gregarious and entertaining at least to this observer... of course they don't live in my backyard either.

And Then There Were Two

I often rationalize to myself that if I had a decent camera then I would be able to take decent pictures.  Using my Nikon Cool Pix 4800 (circa 2004) I've managed to get a few great pictures.  For every great picture I luckily snap I take bushel baskets full of pictures that could be used for warnings on current day medicines.  Most pictures wind up in the bit bucket, a few I save just to refresh my memory and fewer still I share with friends and blog readers.  The following pictures would normally be sent to the bit bucket however I doubt if I will be getting a nice SLR digital mega-pixel camera with zoom lens very soon if ever so I present to you the little creature that was first mentioned in this post.

I first noticed this little guy just out of the corner of my eye.  A quick movement that you look to see what it was and then think you must have imagined it.  Finally spotting the mouse was fairly easy.  S/he is fun to watch as I think they are cute and OK to have around so long as they stay outside and away from my stuff.... like where I store my bird seed.

For quite some time I only saw one.  Of course it might have not been the same one but I only saw one. 

Yesterday I saw two!

Let me set the scene.  Near Joe's station are a number of flat stones that I use on both sides of the falls.  There are lots of places where mice and other small creatures can live somewhat sheltered from the elements and safe from larger predators.  The area where these mice were pictured has a space under the flat stones and is also one of the places I put bird seed every morning.  The little guys are protected under the stone and peek their heads out to scarf up a few seeds.  They only do this when they feel safe.  If a bird, large or small, comes near they quickly duck under the stone.  Of course most birds around my pond don't care about no stink'n rodent but the mice seem to take the cautious road.  They're still around so I guess it's working.

So now I have two.  I guess another way to say this is: I used to have a mouse and now I have mice.  The pair do the same thing as the single mouse did and they are still cute.  I just wonder how large their family will become.  These guys are worse than rabbits in the multiplication arena.

So by straining your eyes you can view the single mouse in the first picture and the pair in the second.  If you double click on the pictures you can see the larger and more pixelated original (still a poor picture though).

If, on the other hand, you just can't stand poor photography and/or have already strained your eyes beyond reason and still can't see the damn mouse.  Feel free to send me a nice SLR digital camera with a zoom lens and I'll swap out these pictures post-haste.

Red Crossbill

The Red Crossbill is a bird.  I recently saw first hand why it's called a Crossbill and readily admit I was amazed.  The Crossbill family of birds are about the size of sparrows.  They get along well with other birds and different species of the Crossbill clan will also flock together.

They are called Crossbill because of the unique way their beak crosses.  As you can see in the picture the tips of the upper and lower beak don't meet, they cross each other like crossing your fingers.  I've noted on some pictures the beak crosses one way and other pictures show the cross just the opposite.  I haven't read anything to explain this.

The reason for this adaptation is the birds primary food source is the Conifer Cone.  Apparently having the crossed beak enables them to pry open the cone and access the seed inside.

The one that I saw just a few days ago was more yellow and light green in the chest and on parts of her back.  Obviously a female because the males are definitely red.  The pictured Crossbill is a female.

Another name for these critters is the Common Crossbill.  I like the name Red Crossbill if for no other reason than they aren't "common" to me.

Last Day of Summer... Hello Fall!

I haven't forgotten y'all.  Things have been slow and uneventful.  The usual birds are here, the who-who birdies, sparrows and finches.  The Eurasian Doves have become regular visitor.  Today the quail stopped by for a while too.  We're still having a few hummers come over for the sweet water and expect they will move on in the next 3 or 4 weeks.

A little brown mouse has moved into the rocks by Joe's Station.  He is a cute little guy and hides in the rocks and sneaks out to grab seeds in the morning.  If he behaves and stays in the rocks he will live a long and happy life.  I don't look forward to his family and friends moving in.  So far it appears it's just this one little guy.... sure.

Fall actually arrives tomorrow, Tuesday, afternoon.  So today is the last WHOLE day of summer.  Autumn is the "proper" name for fall and it occurs when the tilt of the earth is such that the sun is directly over the equator.  If you were living in Australia winter would be giving way to spring as the southern hemisphere of Gods green earth is our opposite.

This season change is being greeted by an invigorating low temperature forecast for tomorrow morning of 37 degrees Fahrenheit.  I saw on the news this evening that there was snow in the mountains and south of Denver.  I'm not worried about any freezing yet and it will be a while before I have to prepare for freezing temperatures.

Life's a song my friends.... sing it!

Stealth Hawks

About 10 years ago I was visiting my sister in Las Vegas, Nevada.  We were sit'n around one morning discussing possible fun things to do that day.  Since I had already won my $32 million on the strip we decided to drive over to Nellis Air Force Base and watch the stealth bombers doing take-offs and landings. My brother-in-law explained to us that he has seen them a number of times and it was an awesome site. 

Off we went.  The drive was only about an hour and when we arrived it was a beautiful day for watching stealth planes come and go.  We sat in the car scanning the horizon as well as the runway.  We did this for about a half hour and then I figured it out.  We couldn't see the stealth bombers because they must have had their stealth mechanism turned on.  Of course.  Our government spent billions of dollars developing the stealth technology... they had to use it or it would have been a waste of money. 

So we sat there and enjoyed watching the stealth bombers take-off and land.  It was an exciting time.  Makes you proud to be an American I'll tell you.

This morning the birds were once again "spooked" and every last one of them took flight.  One second there were hundreds (yep really) of birds scarf'n down seeds and the next second they were gone. 

I knew there had to be a hawk around somewhere.  I grabbed my binoculars and searched the skies and trees.  Nothing.  Just like watching the stealth bombers take-off and land.

About a half hour later the birds started to return and within 10 minutes the circus had resumed like nothing had happened.

It must have been one of those stealth hawks....

September Already

The older I get the faster it goes.  It, in this case is, of course, time.  The one resource that is not renewable... ever.

Apparently the cute baby toads have moved on as we haven't seen them for quite a while now.  Joe is definitely somewhere I'm not... where ever that is.  She was fun to watch and sure gave me enough to keep my interest in this here blog. 

I still have a great time watching the circus every morning and I'm anticipating a few more raptors to come by as the weather continues to slowly cool. 

Under the Mulberry Tree I'm starting to get enough yellow leaves to make it worth my while to clean them up.  It's either pick them off the ground or clean them from the pond and skimmer.  I can tell you from experience the ground is easier.

Ginger is harvesting seeds from the annuals that are starting into the last phase of their life. 

Just when you think everything is dying back you come across the tomatoes that were planted this past spring.  We have been enjoying tomatoes for about 6 weeks now and from the looks of it the crop is about to "come it" and we will be swamped with 'em.  I love tomatoes and will enjoy them everyday with my dinner and eat the cherry tomatoes (regrowth from last year) for snacks.

In another 4 weeks the aspen trees will be shown on the news and we will hear about snow in the high mountains. 

Summer is giving way to fall and it's fun to be a part of it.  Labor day soon, Halloween before you know it. 

'Ol Granny Smith is Dying

Way back in the late 1970's, maybe it was 1977... maybe a little earlier, could be later... I'm not sure, but way back around there Ginger ate a Granny Smith Apple and put the seeds in a small pot that had once contained a live plant.  Against all odds a sprout emerged.  That sprout struggled to survive the environment of a small pot and trying to live in an office.  Sometimes getting water and sometimes not.  The little pot that served for years finally gave way to a bigger pot and years after that to another pot bigger still, maybe a 12 inch pot.

The tree was probably 9 or 10 years old before it even started to look like a tree.  It pretty much looked like a 36 inch stem with a few leaves along the way.  By the time the tree was about 15 years old it looked like a tree and, as I recall, had produced a single apple.

In 1995 Ginger and I moved to Texas and, of course, took our Granny Smith Apple Tree with us.  Once situated in Texas we re-potted the tree to a much larger pot and left it on our deck.  The tree seemed happy and with enough room to spread it's roots a bit it grew and also produced apples every year.  Granny Smith was pretty small for a tree.  Larger than a bonsai tree but nothing like a regular apple tree... about three or four feet tall from the soil line to the tallest branch.

In 2004 we moved to Grand Junction... the tree of us.  When we moved into our current home we decided to actually plant Granny Smith in the ground.... kind of like putting an old stallion out to pasture.  Granny loved her new home and grew to probably 5 feet or so and was producing apples every year.  The apples were on the small side and usually pretty bitter but we enjoyed them.

This summer Granny started shedding leaves on one side.  One of her branches died and we cut it off with the hopes that she would be OK.  Later more branches died.  Now Granny is only half the tree she used to be and we believe she is destined for the compost pile.

We'll let her die a natural death as you would afford your own Granny.  When her time has come we will take her to the compost site and she can help some other plants make our world a nicer place.

A New Visitor

This morning, Wednesday, started out pretty normal. I was up before the sun, checked my email, stumbled around the backyard with a coffee can full of bird seed and then settled down at the dining table to gaze out the window. My favorite time of day. As the sun finally peeked over the Grand Mesa I note there must be over 100 birds in the yard. The numbers have increased since I started spreading the seed around the yard in place of just putting seed in the feeder.

This morning I spied 4 Eurasian Doves. These guys are about 1/3 larger than the who-who birdies (mourning doves) and much lighter in color. A handsome bird. They, like many creatures in the U.S. today are not native. They were introduced to the Bahama's in the 1980's, populated Florida by the 1990's and are quickly spreading across the country.

I sat at the table alternating between coffee, my mystery novel and watching the circus in the yard. I was on the novel part of my rotation when I heard the birds flapping their wings. An unusual sound because of the noise... they were all exiting the yard at the same time. In a hurry it appeared. I looked up to see a Harrier Hawk zoom past the bird feeder just missing a finch or sparrow. The hawk continued on to the Mulberry Tree. I thought sure he had captured breakfast as I saw some feathers falling to the ground behind the tree. Apparently the feathers were from some bird crawling into the tree for safety because the hawk appeared shortly thereafter with nothing to show for all the panic that announced his arrival.

These hawks and I guess raptor's in general are amazing birds to watch. When I look at them they always look alert. Appear strong and vibrant. Somehow radiate a majestic, lofty demeanor. I always feel honored to be able to watch these birds. Too rare a treat for this 'ol guy.

I tried to get a picture but when he was close enough for a photo the window screen was in the way and by the time I was able to move he had moved to sit atop one of the bird houses. I got a couple of pictures of him there but they only look like a silhouette.

It seems to me the raptor's come by in the early spring and, more often, in the fall. We rarely see them around our yard during the hot summer days. As the fall season pushes summer away I expect more visits from the raptor family... hope so anyway.

Baby Toad Update

Remember the two baby toads I put in the pot trellis garden?  One sat on the tip of my finger and the other was rescued from the dreaded skimmer just a few days ago with pictures.  I'm here to report that both are doing just fine.  Ginger and I saw them today and they are fat little creatures.  Apparently not having any problems finding things to eat.

I was looking closely around the ground cover and small flowers in the garden and there is a plethora of small flying creatures, gnats or something similar.  I'm sure the abundance of small insects like that keep our babies happy with a high protein diet.

Like most baby creatures... they are so cute.

Another Survivor... Dontchaloveit?

I've started to check the skimmer every day if not twice a day. The thought of one of those little toads fight'n for hours and then getting sucked into the filter mat or taking the "joy ride" through the pump impellers and pipe to the bio-falls is just a bit much for my sensitive side.

I didn't find any toads on Thursday but I found another little tiny guy on Friday. He was in the basket swimming for all he was worth. I have no idea where they get the energy to fight the current.

I took out the skimmer basket with mini-toad inside and convinced him to get into my hand. Ginger was thinking and retrieved the camera.

As you can see in these pictures this guy is really small.

It has occurred to me that there has to be a "break point" where they have to live in the water versus preferring to live on land. I hope I'm making the right decision of putting them in the garden under the pot trellis.

On the other hand, it is only about 10 feet from there to the pond so if they want to climb back into the pond it isn't all that far... unless your only about a half inch long...

If you double click on the pictures you should be able to see (open) the original picture which is BIG and full of detail.  If that doesn't work let me know...

Happy Anniversary #1

Today is our 1 Year Anniversary for this Frog Blog!

Over the course of the last 365 days I've published over 100 blog entries.  I've become eligible to apply for social security.  Named the ponds... Skimmer, Joe's Pond, Bridge Pond, No-name Pond.  Had visits by my son and daughter and my grandkids.  Drained the pond... a couple of times... once on purpose.  Got the wall to wall carpet cleaned.  Installed a wood floor in my computer room.  Painted the walls too.  I've observed a plethora of different bird visits including raptors of various varieties.  Shoveled snow.  Watched it hail.  Fed about 200 pounds of seed to our fine feathered friends.  Watched 3 batches of Woodhouse's Toads hatch only to have most die overnight.  Put about 7000 miles on my truck.  Put about 2 miles on my wheelbarrow.  We found 2 snake skins in the yard.  Discovered Joe the bird eating bull frog.  Had my 26th wedding anniversary.  Welcomed Joe back this past spring.  Rebuilt 3 waterfalls while learning the joys of "yucky pucky."  Wondered about Joe vanishing in June.  Planted 4 new trees.  Discovered toadlets that had grown into baby toads.  Chased rabbits from the yard.  Found a leak in the pond.  I've made 8 slide shows.  Witnessed an unusual amount of rain. Bought a new car for my wife.  Pulled string algae from the bridge pond.  Installed 2 new pond pumps or had 2 pumps quit which ever way you want to look at it.  Started the fake rock project... the ongoing fake rock project.  Named the waterfalls... Bio-Falls, No-name Falls, Humpty Dumpty Falls and Joe's Station.  Installed some fence on the side of the house.  Saved a trapped toad and also a trapped Joe.  Built shelves in the closet.  Saw a squirrel try to jump the pond.  Started a new web site.  Bought a savings bond.  Used almost 5 pounds of sugar feeding humming birds.  Built a pot trellis.  Started my Slide Show web site.  Keep discovering baby toads... they are alive too!

There is more but I'm probably losing my audience...

Happy Anniversary y'all...

More Skimmer Toads!

I decided I needed to be checking the skimmer more often based on the latest discovery of the 2 baby toads found on Tuesday.  To that end on Wednesday morning I removed the lid and peered into the swirling water that was littered with debris.  Besides a little foam and a bunch of crud I didn't see anything.  I decided to remove the skimmer basket and search inside the skimmer itself.

And there, right at the bottom of the skimmer basket, was the tiniest toad I've see yet.  Slightly smaller than the one I retrieved on Tuesday.   This little guy was submerged and hang'n on to the bottom of the skimmer.  At first I thought he was dead... well, actually, at first I thought it was a small slug... but when I tipped the basket he crawled uphill.  WOW... another one. 

I'm no longer amazed... I'm what ever is beyond amazed.  These little creatures keep showing up when so many of their brothers didn't make it.  How in the world did they survive?

I took this guy and put him in the flowers by the pot trellis.  He sat on the ground cover for a few minutes and then hopped under the flowers. 

They are very small.  About the size of the fingernail of my pinkie finger.  I have hopes of someday remembering to have my camera at the ready so I can share with my blog fans how cute and small these critters are.

On another note:  Remember the frogs that were captured at my daughters place?  I asked her to mail me a few.  Would you believe she put them in an envelope and sent them?  Naw, I wouldn't either... she didn't.  They would never have survived the stamp cancellation process.  Everyone knows that....

2 New Toad Discoveries... Yep 2!!

The flapper on the front of my skimmer basket broke last week when I was cleaning the skimmer. It had been repaired once a few years ago so I wasn't all that put out to buy a new one.

The part came in Tuesday morning. Before installing it in the skimmer basket I cleaned the leaves and crud that had accumulated. When I went to re-install the basket I noticed a very small toad try'n it's best to swim out of the skimmer.

This little guy gave it his all. He was doing a cross between a frog kick and breast stroke and just made it out. He swam over to the side of the skimmer pond and was breath'n hard. I left him to recoup his energy and after about 30 minutes he was gone (not back to the skimmer).

I then returned to the skimmer to install the basket when I noticed another toad baby. This was was half the size of the previous one and had zero chance of getting out of the skimmer as long as the pump was going. I reached in and scooped him up. He clung to the tip of my finger. In fact, he was about the size of my finger tip. Very small. He too must have been exhausted because he didn't try to get away. I took him over the the garden under the pot trellis and deposited him on a plant. A few minutes later he was not to be found.

Tuesday was a great day in the baby toad arena. To think at one time I thought they had all died... I've learned a lesson about Ma Nature.

Now if Joe would return.....

Frogs in the Family...

My daughter lives in the mountains northwest of Ft. Collins, Colorado with her husband and 2 sons.  Of course she is an avid reader of the Frog Blog to the point of grump'n at me if I'm slow to follow-up on a post.  So whatever it is that got me going about Joe, Woody and et Alia I guess has genetic origins.

She sent me this picture:

You can click on the picture to view the original sized picture.

They scouted around their home and captured about 45 of these little guys.  We think they are Boreal Chorus Frogs.

Here is a closeup of the frogs highlighted by the bottom of the pan.

Cute little guys don't you think? 

The Boreal Chorus Frogs  can be found around permanent water bodies in cleared land and forest. Males make a "reeeek" call from grasses, vegetation or just hang'n around on the ground near their water homes from April through to September. Unlike most amphibians, the boreal has a soft croak instead of a loud one like their noisy cousins. This frog is normally one of the first amphibian to emerge in spring, it is often found while snow and ice are still present.

The Boreal Chorus Frog is technically know as Pseudacris Maculata.  It is a species of chorus frog native to Canada from the west of Lake Superior to western Alberta and north to the North West Territories. It occurs in the USA throughout Montana, northwestern Wisconsin, northeastern Arizona, northern New Mexico and southwestern Utah.  Did I leave out Colorado?  I wonder if they are also in Wyoming?

So here is a word to the wise.  If you plan on stop'n by either my place or my daughters you best have had your Frog Blog inoculation or you too may start hunt'n for frogs in your yard or down by the lake.  You can take that piece of information to the bank!

Doldrum Days 'n Hot August Nights

Back in a past life I learned about sailing.  I went to sailing school both in the classroom and on the water.  I learned a lot of things... one of which was about the doldrums.   The dictionary has a couple of definitions for doldrum but I've always associated the word with the area of ocean, near the equator, where the winds are light and sometimes less than that and there is a lot of rain.  Technically it's called the inter-tropical convergence zone but doldrums sounds a lot better.

My backyard has a resemblance to the doldrums.  The wind comes gently from the north for a while and then from the west.  In the morning it's usually from the southeast.  Then, sometimes, the doldrums move away.  Then a whole can of "whup'ass" jumps out.  The wind blows, the trees are bent over and the birds have taken cover.  The lightening flashes and thunder booms.  It might rain or hail a little and then, in a snap, it all disappears.  Colorado weather.

I'm just telling you this story because the doldrums have settled in my back yard.

One time I was sailing out in Corpus Christi Bay with some friends.  We were in my Gulfstar 39 which was a heavy seaworthy boat.  We were changing direction when a puff of cool air touched my face and was then gone.  Everyone thought I was nuts when I said we had to take down the sails and head for home.  I insisted and soon we were on our way but we had miles to go.  Within 30 minutes of that cool puff of air, the horizon turned black and a hellacious storm struck.  Of course we had to go directly into the wind for miles to get home.  It took hours.  We were all soaked to the bone but since I'm writing this blog one must assume I made home alive.

The sailing story is here because the weather is changing.  Oh it's still hot and it's still summer but every now and again I feel that little puff of air that is the first hint of fall.  The birds know it's coming.  The hummers are drinking the sweet water like there is no tomorrow.  I'm filling the hummer juice bar twice a week now. They are put'n on the fat for the trip south.  Did you know some migrate all the way to Central America and some into South America! 

In Reno, Nevada they have a city wide celebration every year.  It's called "Hot August Nights."  My sister used to live in Reno so I had occasion to be there one year to participate in the celebration.  I can attest to the hot part.  Well, I can attest to the August and night part too.  It was a fun time.  They had all kinds of old cars cruising, lots of free activities and things to see.  There were popular stars in the clubs performing extra shows.  Dancing in the streets and a lot of happy people.  No doldrums there.

There is no real reason for me to have told you the Reno story other than it's August.

So there you have it.  If anyone ever asks you about the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone you know what to say.

Batch II or III Toadlet Sighting!

At least one out of thousands managed to survive!  On the first Sunday in August Ginger saw a fairly large toadpole in the Bridge Pond.  When she was telling me about it she said, "I thought it was dead because it just sat on the rock.  It was about an inch long and pretty fat.  I moved closer to get a better look and guess I spooked it.  It swam down and disappeared between some rocks."

So there you have it folks.  A toadlet sighting from a reliable source.  Be they tenacious or be they lucky or be they both, at least a few of the thousands managed to survive.  Amazing... just amazing.

Real Rock to Hide Fake Rock

When I was a youngster, way back when frogs had tails and ruled the world, my mother bought a Chinese bar. It was hand carved and painted gold, red and black with some Chinese writing on it. It even came with some old empty bottles and a musty smell.

What drew my mother to purchase the thing is unknown to me. I think it may have been pretty much unknown to everyone actually. My mom took a whole bunch of teasing and harassment about the thing over the course of her years.  My mom's first name was Olive and the bar became known as "Olive's Folly."

Fast forward to the present time. I'm beginning to think there is a genetic link between my mom's Chinese bar and my fake rock. I suspect I may have paid more for the fake rock and supporting items than my mom paid for the bar even if you adjust for inflation between now and when frogs had tails and ruled the world.

So with this inherited "folly" syndrome once again surfacing to take over what most would call rational judgment, I set out to camouflage the fake rock by putting real rocks around it.  I'm not sure that's even logical but if it were then maybe, just maybe, it wouldn't be a folly.

This past week I went to the rock yard with the intention of purchasing some granite stones to use in the FRCF (Fake Rock Camouflage Folly). I picked up 4 rocks. One was kinda heavy and I needed both hands to lift it, the other 3 I picked up with one hand. When I went to pay for them the weight was 120 pounds and that was $17 and change! I bought them. Geez, I live in the rocky mountains for cry'n out loud and here I paid $17 for 4 smallish rocks.

I've surely lost my mind.

I placed my 4 professional granite rocks in front of the fake rock. It helps but I think I need more granite rocks.

The next granite rocks will be amateurs as professional rocks quickly priced themselves out of my league.

Do you think there is a relationship between "folly" and "folicle challenged?"

A Proud Toad Daddy ~ With Pictures!!!

On Thursday when Ginger told me she was going to water the pot trellis I jumped up, grabbed my camera and assumed the position assigned me the previous day.  With the zoom already set and tested on a flower I was ready for the little guy to jump right out there like he did on Wednesday.

Ginger started to water.  I watched.  Ginger watered.  I watched and waited.  Ginger watered.  I watched, waited and fiddled with the camera.  Ginger watered.  I gave it up.  No toad sighting this Thursday.

Friday.  Once again I assumed the assigned position for toad watching.  This time the little guy jumped right out from under some plants.  I was armed with my trusty digital camera.  As soon as I attempted to take the first picture the little guy jumped and was gone.  I was left with a rather nice picture of a flower but no baby toad pictures.

I risked the wrath of the position gods and moved closer.  I reached out and moved a plant to peer around it's base.  There he was... but I was too close to take his picture.  I handed the camera to Ginger and asked her to give it a try.  She didn't have her glasses on.

Ginger handed the camera back to me and reached toward the plant to hold it back so I could move away and take the picture.  As soon as I moved our baby once again jumped and was gone.

Humph.  I stepped back and Ginger grabbed the hose and started to water again.  Immediately she saw movement and pointed.  TARGET IDENTIFIED!

I took a picture.  I took a few more.  The toad moved.  I saw where it went.  I took more pictures.  So here are the best two pictures.  If you like you can click on the pictures to see the full sized version.

It's hard to discern this little guys actual size from these images.  At the most he is 1 1/4 inches long.  If I had to buy it a suit I would get something smaller than a Tinker Bell size.

If you look closely at the left picture you can see a dark tube just above and to the right of the baby toad.  This is a 1/4 inch driper hose... maybe that will help with the perspective.

This ex-toadlet is doing just fine in the feeding department and looks very healthy.  I imagine it will spend the winter in/near the pot trellis area.  Maybe even sing'n a tune next spring

I Spied a Baby Toad

It seems like everyone has seen one of the baby toads. Everyone but me that is. On Wednesday about 4 PM that officially changed.

On Tuesday Ginger was watering and rousted a baby toad from it's niche under the pot trellis (remember the yellow pot trellis?). So on Wednesday when she went out to water, she instructed me to follow her and told me where to stand and proceeded to water.

Sure enough after just a few sprinkles this little green toad hops out from under these plants and is sitting on some ground cover. It was small but had not residual tail. I would estimate it's length at about 1 1/4 inches from head to rump. Just a little miniature toad.

I even had my camera with me. I am sorry to report that I was only able to get three shots of the toad before it disappeared into the plants. The pictures were blurry to the point that you wouldn't know it was a toad or a green rock.

The next time Ginger waters I will assume my toad observation post and try again.

Stay tuned 'O loyal followers....

Feed me!! Cheep - Cheep

I have 3 birdhouses along the back fence.  I've mentioned them a few times but pretty much they are just there.  On Tuesday morning I was in the yard when I hear the sound of baby birds vie for the attention of the mommy bird.  This must be the third or fourth batch of birds hatched this season in this one birdhouse.  From the looks of the mother she might have been born in the first batch as she looked hardly mature enough to have hatched eggs.

As I watched the mother approach the birdhouse I noted she was carrying a green insect of some type in her  mouth.  Ever so cautious she alit on the branch of a nearby tree.  Looked around and up and down and then looked some more.  After about a minute she moved to the fence below the birdhouse and again she looks around.  Ever so cautious.  Then she moves along the fence to another spot and looks some more.  Geez, that bug is going to dry out and turn to dust before she feeds her babies.  Finally after about 4 or 5 minutes from when I saw her in the tree she flew up to the nest, landing on the perch that sticks out below the entrance hole.

Once again she is looking around with the bug securely in her beak.  Now the little baby birdies can see her and are going crazy with their cheeping and, maybe, the first inkling of a chirp every now and then. 

To my surprise, she starts feeding the insect to the babies via the air-vent above the entrance hole.  I could make out the mouths and eye circles of a couple of babies.  Mama finally released the insect and the babies disappeared to fight over the delicacy.  Mom was off in search of more food... I wonder where Daddy bird was hang'n.

Baby birds are cool to have in your yard.

A New Pond Plant Container

With Joe still missing and the loss of so many of the toadpoles, things are a bit slow out back.  We are, however, still smile'n about that crazy squirrel.  The hummers are still very active and drinking the sweet water like there was no tomorrow.

I was wondering around the yard and spotted a cinder block.  This thing was left over from the initial pond construction days.  Just what does one do with extra cinder blocks? 

I decided I would make a plant container for the pond.  It turns out the cinder blocks are great for this as they aren't prone to break or melt and definitely don't float away.

  I got some landscape fabric and cut a couple of pieces to fit the bottom of the block.  This covered the holes and would hold the dirt in while also letting water in.  I glued the fabric to the block and broke out the paint.

Today I installed what used to be a cinder block but is now a planter in the pond.  Of course it will be up to Ginger to plant something in the thing.

Like I said, things are slow around here.

A Lone Survivor?

 Ginger was watering plants Tuesday afternoon and noticed a very small toad trying to escape the stream of water.  It had been sitting on some ground cover.  She came and got me.  I grabbed my camera and headed out to the backyard but the little guy had disappeared.  I've looked a couple of times since then but so far haven't found him.  I want to document this LIVE one with a picture.

It seems to me that if one survived there is a good possibility that there are more. Ginger said it was pretty small so a whole plethora of 'em could easily be missed if your not looking at 'em.

While looking for the ex-toadpole I noticed an ant hauling a spider over the rocks.  Then there was the little black bug zooming in and out of the rocks.  I also saw a wasp like insect that was purple... kinda pretty.  It would appear there are things going on in the mini world that I don't notice very often. 

When I lived in Texas (1995 - 2004) we had a bunch of tropical creatures living around us.  One of my favorites was the little green Anole.  This little lizard reminded me of one of those little dogs that thinks it's a bull-mastiff or something.  They were pretty brave and would take on bugs that I thought were too big for them to eat.  One day I set a bucket next to the garden and just watched.  Pretty soon I noticed an Anole here and another there.  Actually there were a whole bunch of them but for some reason you have to sit and watch before they are visible.  They were eat'n insects left and right.  I couldn't believe the amount they ate.  I hope these toads are just as ravenous and successful in finding food.

Your probably not surprised the squirrel has not returned.  I'm not.  Also interesting is we haven't see the gang of hummers that were here on Monday.  Just passing through I guess.

Some good news on the toad front.  Woody's live!!!!

Humming Birds with Attitudes

Hummers, like dynamite, TNT and C-4 are explosive and come in small packages... all packages of this gender require respect and care or bad things happen.  The squirrel in our yard this afternoon obviously missed this part of the lesson when attending suburban squirrel etiquette class.

Here's the story... Outside our back door is a patio.  It's a pretty big slab of concrete and part of it is covered.  Under the covered part I have a wooden box about 5 feet long by 2.5 feet wide and about 4 feet high.  Also in the covered part we have a hummer feeder hanging from the eves.

This squirrel comes running toward the wood box and skids to a stop just before crashing into it.  Hot on it's heels is a hummer.  The hummer is darting in and out... obviously pissed at the squirrel.  The squirrel is backed against the box and finally crawls under the box.  The hummer continues to dart around looking for the squirrel.  After a short time the hummer abandons the search and moves on.

The squirrel, apparently feeling brave, jumps on top of the box and is looking around.  The hummer spied him and zooms in, pressing the attack.  The squirrel is intimidated by the little hummer and again seeks refuge under the box.  The hummer takes a graceful exit moments later.

Enter this 'ol phart.  I don't want that squirrel around my storage box as that's where I store my birdseed.  Squirrels like birdseed.  I had visions of the squirrel chewing it's way into the box and doing what squirrels do when in a box full of birdseed.

So I decided I wanted to scare the squirrel away.  It says in the latest book about scaring squirrels away that you have to be careful that they don't bite your toe when they panic because you scare the bejesus out of them.  So armed with a rake and my normal amount of testosterone I approached the box.  Heart beat about 140.  Perspiration abundant.  I'm wearing clean underwear just in case we have to call 911.  I approach the box.

Would you believe that little hummer is still guarding the box!  No, the hummer didn't attack me but it was hang'n around. 

I pounded on the box in hopes of scaring the squirrel out the back side.  No movement.  So I moved to the open side and slid the box out from the wall.  After I moved it about a foot the squirrel made a run for it. 

I remember the first time my dog got zapped by an electric fence.  This was many years ago.  When that happened the poor creature cried out and jumped at the same time.  When he landed his legs were already churning and his tail was tucked between his hind legs so far it was pointing in the direction of flight.

That's kinda how it was with this squirrel only the tail wouldn't point in the direction of flight.  But the little guy was move'n out.  The squirrel ran toward the pond, didn't take the bridge and didn't slow down when it got to the water.  A mighty leap toward the other side.  A splash.  It didn't make it.  A short, frantic swim.  It was out.  It's tail no longer fluffy, just wet and clingy.  The last I saw of the scared squirrel was it haul'n his little behind in a northerly direction.

Wow!  That was funny and I didn't even lose any blood in the encounter.

Algae Lives for July and August

The summer heat is upon us like it was July or August.  I remember one 110 degree plus day in Las Vegas when I was riding with my nephew in his beat-up 'ol station wagon.  His AC didn't work... in fact there were a lot of things in that car that didn't work.  Anyway, it was hot and there was no AC and I said to my nephew, "How can you stand driving around in this heat without AC?"  His reply, "Uncle Jimmy, it can only get so hot and then that's all it is... just hot.  It doesn't make any difference if it's 105 or 115 it's just HOT.  So I don't worry about it." 

So I guess it's just HOT here in river city.  I worried about it a few years but nothing changed so I don't worry about it.  That's how it is around her in July and August.

The heat and sun (they do go together don't they) have warmed the pond to the point were the algae has turned the water a dark color.  In addition, the string algae is growing like weeds.  We see this every year for about 6 or 8 weeks,some years worse than others, and then it starts to cool and the days get a bit shorter.  Then the water starts to clear until next July/August.

I guess the water isn't good enough to keep the Woody's around.  I reported they were here 3 nights in a row and then appeared to have left.  I was wrong.  They were back a couple of times but didn't stay long.  I would hear them sing a short song and then all was quiet.

I had hopes for another batch of toadlets but I realize that is probably not going to happen.  It's just too late in the year to start a toad family.  So I'll hold out for the off chance that Joe will bless us with an August return.

In the meantime I'm taking it slow and venturing out only when the temperature is below about 95... unless my wife makes me go outside for something.

We're UP ~ We're Down ~ Woody's Gone

The Woody's were here long enough to give me hope and get me out of the funk of losing all the toadlet's.  They stayed around for 3 nights.  There were at least two of them sing'n their tunes but we never saw them.  The pond has been silent the last couple of nights so I think they have moved on.  It is late in the season to be making toadpoles.

Still no sign of Joe.  To alleviate some of the sudden withdrawal from seeing Joe every day, on Wednesday,  Ginger and I, lead by our Granddaughter, headed out to the Botanical Gardens.  They have a really nice pond with lots of fish, lilly pads, anacharis grass and bull frogs.  They even have a turtle.  The turtle was pretty shy and took a dive when we arrived and never exposed itself enough for us to identify it.

The bullfrogs were different looking than Joe.  Joe was darker and the pattern on Joe's skin was not as pronounced as the frogs we observed on Wednesday.  They were of good size but not as big as Joe.  I first thought they might be green frogs but I'm now pretty sure they were bullfrogs.  I regret I didn't take my camera.  I did consider grab'n one and bringing it home with me but fought that urge.  Didn't want to go to jail for frog-napping.

In Joe's absence the birds are having a grand time playing in the waterfalls and hang'n next to the water.  The daytime temperatures are nearing 100 now and I think the birds like the refreshment of taking a quick bath.

The Humming Birds have been visiting the sweet water more often.  In years past that usually happens when they prepare to migrate south for the winter.  We have also noted that some of our plants are getting tinges of fall colors.  All this is too early we think so have to assume it will be an early winter.  It certainly has been a wet spring and summer.

That's what's going on in pondville.  Nothing exciting... sometimes things just go like that.

Fake Rock ~ Moving Along

I know all you Frog Blog Readers are on pins and needles waiting to hear the latest on the Fake Rock Camouflage Exercise. Here is the latest.

Saturday morning I mixed more mortar and started slapping it to the lathe. You know, the more I do this the easier it gets. There is a knack to putting down the mortar.  It seems you "throw" the "mud" versus placing it and it goes along much easier.

Anyway, I put down the mortar, pressed more rocks into it and then the small gravel into that and stepped away from the platform.

I still have to hide the edges of the platform. Then find some appropriate rocks to place around the platform to, hopefully, blend in with the fake rock. Once complete it will only appear to be a fake rock if you look at it.

Can anyone define a "chunkini?"

Did You Hear That?

I'm excited! Last night about 10 I was shutting down the 'ol 'puter when I heard the call of the Woodhouse's Toad. I couldn't believe my ears. I had to open the window and wait for another call just to confirm. Yessiree, that was a Woody.

Maybe... just maybe they will get together and create Batch IV. No guarantees of course but at least half of the equation was calling out last night.

So this morning I gathered my string algae rake and cleaned the pond as best I could. Not taking a chance on using algae eradication chemicals. I'll rely on the old fashioned methods until we know if the Woody's are here to procreate.

Yesterday we also had what my grandfather would have called a "Toad Strangler" rain. The picture is of the detention area next to my house and the road beyond. The water is muddy because they are developing a new neighborhood up the hill from my place.

As you can see it was coming down pretty good. Then about 4 hours later I heard the Woody. Do you think the rain chased it out of it's home? I don't hear them in the detention area at night.

What ever the reason the Woodhouse's Toad was sing'n it's song last night. You can bet I'll be listening tonight.

There is hope!

Fake Rock - Slow Progress

I guess this rock thing isn't that high on my priority list. Just because I have to kneel on my knees, work one handed, sweat streaming into my eyes and those damned gnats crawling on my face and in ears. Drives me crazy!

I did, however, get started with the mortar. I mixed some up Friday morning and started to apply it to the lathe. Squish it into the lathe, build up the thickness of the mortar, lay rocks on top and squish them in to the mortar. Then, in an effort to be thorough I add some small gravel. Small being about a quarter inch.  My hope is to cover the areas between the rocks.

I haven't finished with the mortar and rocks. I only did about half and then quit because I ran out of mortar (mixed mortar that is) and was sweat'n like I had been working.

It looks good now but the test will be when I tilt the base up so I can access the mechanics.  That's when my work demonstrated it's flaws last time around.  If you recall, most of the mortar and rock slid onto the ground.

Saturday will be a new day and I hope to finish this portion of the project.

Fake Rock ~ No Progress

On Wednesday before discovering the demise of all the toadlets I reattached the particle board with fake rock and lathe to it's designated position. Not earth shaking news.

I had planned to mix-up some mortar and get that going but was interrupted by being called to take the granddaughter to her tennis lesson. That was interesting as this was her last lesson and my first time to see the goings on. They had a good time especially when they substituted water balloons for tennis balls.

By the time we got home it was too hot to work on the fake rock so I gave that up until Thursday. Heck, why do today what you can put off till tomorrow?

So Thursday came. I didn't do anything with the pond or fake rock. I think I'm a little down because of the toadlet fiasco. Guess I'll go drown my sorrows in diet Pepsi... it must be Pepsi time somewhere.

The weather is HOT now and if I don't get going early enough in the morning I'm just not going to get going. When it's this hot I don't do much after about 10 or 10:30.

Maybe tomorrow I'll get going on the fake rock. One smart SOB once said: "Why do today what you can put off till tomorrow!"

The Toadlet Season is Over!

All the toadlets in the pond are dead!

On Monday afternoon I noticed that I didn't see any toadlets, toadpoles, polliwogs... none of the batch II or III Woodhouse's Toads hatchling.  As noted in my July 2nd post I haven't see any batch I toadlets either.

On Wednesday afternoon my granddaughter and I started searching in earnest for any toadlet.  We found one laying on some string algae.  Confirmed it was a toadlet and was dead by netting the poor creature.

We then moved our search to the skimmer pond.  Just a few days ago there were many hundreds of the little guys scarfing the algae from the walls of the pond.  I took the net and started to stir the water in the pond.  Soon a few little toadlet bodies were brought to the surface by the current.  I netted a dozen or so.  All dead.

Later my granddaughter saw a couple of the batch I toadlets in the Bio-falls.  These were also dead.  I took one out to get a picture. 

The batch I guys were pretty big.  I would estimate a little over 1 inch in length.  As you can see in the pictures their legs (gams) were quite developed.  I was surprised their tails were still so long. 

We only found 4 of the batch I toadlets so I would like to think these might be late bloomers, so to speak, and their sibling have actually moved out of the pond. 

Besides the dead toadlets we also noted a number of dead snails.

We don't know what caused this pond catastrophe.  In our discussions we talked about the possibility of the pond oxygen being depleted but we don't know what would cause that to happen.  Possibly something to do with water temperature and algae?  We just don't know.

We have considered that possibly something from all the fireworks on the 4th may have settled into the pond.  We don't think that likely but I suppose possible.

We have also thought about someone maybe spraying a tree, bushes or weeds and the poison getting into the pond.  This seems more likely to me. 

We don't know if this somehow ties in with Joe's disappearance.  There is a whole lot we don't know.  But Joe has been gone for a long time and these toadlets died just a couple of days ago.

Answers to this mystery I don't expect to find.

With feelings of melancholy we close the story on this years toadlets.

Fake Rock ~ Round 2

On Tuesday I removed the particle board base for the fake rock... or is it faux rock?.... I removed the fake rock from the particle board. In fact, I trashed the particle board because I got mad at it.

So I had to cut a new base for the fake rock. Any guesses on what the new base is made of... yep, you guessed it, particle board. Lets just say we're starting off with a clean slate... so to speak.

I drilled holes for the hinge attachment using the old board as a template.  I covered the board with wire lathe which is a metal mesh held onto the base (particle board) with a gazillion screws.  The lathe will hold the mortar.  On top of the lathe I secured the fake rock. 

That's all I did Tuesday. 

More work to do on Wednesday with mortar and rock and screws then I will update this fascinating blog so y'all can just follow along with me.

I just can't believe how exciting this is... can you feel it?