Tuesday, June 1, 2010

" Of Toads and Galavanting !"

I found another toad in my yard the other day, this excites me to no end! And let me tell you, he was absolutely beautiful in my eyes. He or she (I don't know how to tell the difference!) wasn't the same one that Jake had found the week previous. No, this guy or gal was huge! About four inches long and a bit chubby I might add.



I am so thrilled to have a toad or two or maybe even more in my little yard. I looked up how to make a toad house which I had never even heard of until my DIL Amy, said that I should make a toad house! 

So I have all of the supplies already and am going to work on this tomorrow. When I first spotted him I thought it funny that he was sitting next to Jake's frog statues. I quickly ran into the house for my camera and this was my first photo of him. It looks all fancy like I photo shopped it but in actuality it was the overwhelming humidity that caused this effect!



After a few minutes the condensation disappeared and this is what I got.



When he moved to the stepping stone in the first photo, I did pet him. Oh I know I am being a silly woman but I have fond memories of toads. 

When I was a young girl, I would spend some weeks of the summers with my great-grandmother Earlie May Van, in Angola Indiana. Being born and raised a city girl, the country lake setting was truly new and fascinating to me.

I don't remember if it was my Grandmother or my cousin Roxanne that first taught me how to catch them, but I do remember feeling infatuated by them.

My Grandmother gave me a coffee can and lid in which we poked holes into. I put grass inside and of coarse a bug or two, here and there.

You can only imagine my heartbreak when it came time for me to go back home to Chicago and was told why I wouldn't be able to take my friend with me. Through my tears I set the coffee can on it's side and thought surely my little friend would hop away to freedom. As I sat and waited several minutes, my heart started to warm at the thought that my little toad friend had come to love me too. He didn't want to leave me!

Well he eventually jumped out of the can but I always felt after those few minutes, that he could have really been my pet. Just not in the big city. And I did understand this back then, yet still it hurt.

So call me a silly woman if you will but I still am excited about finding two toads in our yard. Alright now, dry those tears as I am about to babble on some more. It's hard to read through the tears. 

Today was a busy day. I had to take my Pug Ruby to the vet at 7:45 to get her nails trimmed. I forgot that yesterday was a holiday and there where seven dogs and four cats waiting! And while we were the third appointment we still had to wait a long while. This made Ruby very upset and anxious. Poor thing was just a nervous wreak! Right after we got out of there and were on our way home, I noticed that she was squinting out of her right eye. She's been squinting all day. I am hoping that she may have just scratched it with her nail. I have been putting warm rags on it this evening and will see if it clears by tomorrow. I may be taking her back.

I got home around 8:45 and got Kate up. She wanted to spend the night at her friends house and wanted to get there early. This was fine with me as I had a couple of hours of work to do at church anyway. So I dropped her off and got a bit of office work done. I'll have to go back later in the week to finish.

Next stop, Lowes. I needed dirt. I came out of there with dirt and a new blue spruce tree. Don't ask. All I can say is that it was a great price and I love conifers almost as much as toads!

Wal-mart was next in line for a few groceries and than back home. I fixed myself some lunch and decided to test out the new sewing machine. Man that baby is nice! It seems way more powerful than my old machine and for the first time in my life I was able to do a zig zag stitch! All of the sewing that I've done and was never able to do that stitch because my old machine didn't work well anymore. Now I am anxious to start a new project, after the toad house of coarse!

I got a bit bored again after that. I wanted to work outside so badly but it was 89 degrees, sunny and humid so I went back to town and bought a couple of sun dresses to wear around the house. I have a few patterns for some and I may end up traveling out of town for fabric to make a couple more. And I just couldn't resist a new bandanna for my collection. It is very cute!

I also picked up some sunscreen, bug repellent and bug bite cream for Katie's trip to camp next week. She leaves on Sunday. I will have a couple of days to work that week but then I am hoping to spend some time with my son and his family.

I plan on spending the rest of the evening watching a movie or two that I had rented from the library a few days ago. Has anyone seen "Seven Pounds" with Will Smith? I like his movies and am looking forward to it.

I am going to leave you this evening with a few more photos. They are of my grandson, Jack and his new bike. And my granddaughter, Sarah with her new bike sporting a very chic new hairstyle.

I hope you all had a good day and a quite and peace filled evening, God Bless. 







25 comments:

Anvilcloud said...

Seven Pounds is a good choice, but I can't say I'm with you re the toads. :)

Lynilu said...

Quite a day you had! I agree about Seven Pounds; it's very good.

I think you're as excited over your toad as I was over the horned toad I found a few weeks ago! It is exciting to find a healthy one, isn't it?

I like Sarah's haircut. One of my niece's got hrs cut like that recently, and she looks so good! It's a becoming cut on them both.

anupama said...

Dear Di,
Namaste!
Good Afternoon!
What a hectic day!Still you enjoy each and ever moment!
Your grandchildren look so cute!
You know what,IN Coimbatore,India,toads were married[based on a strong belief] to please the RainGod!:)
Wishing you beautiful stiching,
Sasneham,
Anu

Snowbrush said...

Toads don't live in Oregon, and that's too bad. I was told as a child that they caused warts, so that inhibited my enjoyment of them a great deal, although it also saved a few toads from being the objects of my unwelcome attention.

In the 1980s, there was an old man who lived in a trailer a few miles north of Cairo (Hwy 61, is it?) and who had a yard full of whirligigs. I stopped and visited with him a couple of times. I always thought that southern Illinois was the prettiest part of the state because the land near the river isn't so flat as elsewhere.

Lois Evensen said...

Critters are so fascinating, aren't they! Yes, I identify with your infatuation with toads. I always loved watching the bunnies in the yard when I was a kid and wanted to catch one, but never did. At Easter, back in those days, we had baby ducks that would follow us around. When they got bigger, they went to a lake where they were gladly accepted by the owner. We could go back and visit them which was neat.

I hope your toad sticks around!

Hugs,
Lois

Wanda..... said...

I discovered a similar toad in the garden this week, but he quickly hid under the Autumn Joy. I have a broken pottery bowl that I use for a toad house, sort of cave-like!

Our young granddaughters are growing up, Diana. Sarah's haircut is perfect for our hot humid days and little Jack looks happy with the bike bell.

I just bought a sundress too and used my sewing machine to make a cover for the porch glider. We live exciting lives Di! :)

♥...Wanda

Lena said...

The toad is gorgeous!!! I love it Di!!

And your grandson... he is cute as a button!!!

tons of love!!! :)

Diana said...

AC, I love reptiles, toads and frogs. Seven Pounds wasn't as good as I expected. Love Di ♥

Diana said...

Hi Lyn,
I was surprised at how much older Sarah looked with the short cut.
Seven pounds was O.K., I guess just not what I expected! Love Di ♥

Diana said...

Anu,
It was a hectic day indeed, but good!
Today I can do whatever I please.
Love Di ♥

Diana said...

Hi Snow,
The war rumor has been greatly exaggerated! However the little wart like bumps that they have are poisonous to animals that try to attack them! Love Di ♥

Diana said...

Hi Lois,
My kids had a rabbit when they were young and it was mean. I was happy when he scampered away!
I am glad that the toads find my yard "Toad Friendly"! Love Di ♥

Diana said...

Oh Yes Wanda, the exciting life of the everyday housewife. It may not be exciting to some but it sure keeps us busy and out of trouble, LOL!
Love Di ♥

Diana said...

Hi Lena,
I've missed you hope you are doing alright! Thanks for reading about my boring life! Love Di ♥

Rebecca said...

I'm breathless from trying to keep up with you!

I'm not terribly fond of toads so am trying to walk a mile in your shoes and be as excited as you are!

I don't NEED to ask about the blue spruce. I completely understand that...

Of course, I'll be waiting to see the toad house AND the new sundresses you're going to be making. You go, Girl!

Gail said...

HI DI_

I love your love of toads and the history behind it. :-)

Love you too
Gail
peace and hope

Diana said...

Hi Rebecca,
I do tend to get carried away after I have had the shots in my knees. It is a blessing to me to be able to move and do things without all of that pain. Now if I can just find someone to help me dig a few holes! That hurts my knees even with the shots!
I am going to take photos of the toad house construction! Love Di ♥

Diana said...

Hi Gail, Thank you, I felt that I should explain why I love the toads so you all wouldn't think me toadally bonkers! Love Di ♥

Arlee Bird said...

My wife would flip out and run in the house screaming if she saw a toad in our yard. She does not like reptiles, amphibians, or other little critters. I told her that I'd seen a lizard in our back yard and now she seems somewhat concerned. She hides her eyes if she so much as sees a snake in a movie.

Lee
Tossing It Out

Jenny said...

Yikes. My kids loved toads. I'm not a fan. But I loved your story even if the pictures gave me the heeby jeebies!

Pramoda Meduri said...

Hi DIana, most importantly i loved the pic, and most imposrtantly i loved them very much .. haha...totally i liked it ..:) ..

wats up?

Eileen said...

A toad house! How cute! 'Can't wait to see it! (And the house guests too of course!)

Sounds like you've been busy and having fun too! You'll have to show us your sewing projects too!

It's funny you said you bought sun dresses for around the house, I was just looking on-line for 'house dresses', remember those? My Mom had so many when we were little (she would never think of wearing pants back then!), and they were so pretty, her summer ones were sun dresses with beautiful floral patterns. I'd love to find some just like them, but when I 'googled' house dress all I found were those 'duster' type things, and house coats.
I'll google sun dresses now!

Your grandchildren are so beautiful! And Sarah is so mature looking all of a sudden!
I notice that with our Jayden too, no more baby, he's a big boy now.

Nice post, Di!
I enjoyed it a lot!
Love to you, E

Diana said...

Arlee, Jenny and Prams,
Not to worry, I haven't seen the said Toad since I wrote this!
Love Di ♥

Diana said...

Hi Eileen,
My great-grandmother and grandmother used to wear the housecoats around the house all of the time. My great-grandmother called them MooMoo's! I am not quite ready for those but I do see them in my future, LOL!!!
Love Di ♥

Vicki said...

You are one busy woman! You make me feel like a slacker, especially since I am hobbling around with a painful knee.

I too love toads and frogs. I have not seen any toads here but we have tons of frogs...I only wish they would stay out of the swimming pool. I keep finding the little ones in the skimmer. I was able to save one yesterday but usually I am too late. I loved your telling of your pet toad during your summer at your grandmother's. It brought back memories of my Aunt Belle's cabin in the woods and the lovely time we had finding beetle skeletons and flying squirrels and tadpoles and frogs...there is nothing like nature. Thanks for the memory! Love you. Vicki