Thursday....An Encounter With Mr. Toad

What did I do today? The Daisies needed to be cut down in the back garden. After the wind and rain, they were looking bedraggled. They were starting to fade anyway, so I just cut them off. I took the lawn cart and filled it up with branches and twigs. This is back breaking work...such tiny twigs from that darn River Birch. As I was working, I thought that the ground might be covered with twigs again after the rains predicted this weekend. My friend the Wren was scolding me as I worked. I left her little pile of twigs there under her house, in case she needed more. I decided to dig up the Sweet Autumn Clematis, that I planted in the woods. It has hardly grown, probably because of the absence of sun. Usually these grow so fast and are up and over everything in sight. I brought it up to the garden by the deck and put it where I had planted a new one this year called Pagoda. It has a small fence to climb and maybe I'll be sorry I put it there...we'll see. The little Pagoda was moved to the front garden near the post with the birdhouse. As I was stepping, gingerly, into the garden...something moved underfoot. I looked down and there was Mr. Toad looking up at me. He was sunning himself and was grumpy about being disturbed. He nestled his body into a place near a big rock. I went in the house for the camera. I had seen this toad before. One night, when a storm was brewing, he appeared on the sidewalk...looking at us as if to say, "Where is it safe to spend the night?" He hopped off under the evergreens. I finished my job of planting and started to go in the house. I thought then, that maybe our snakes are gone from the front of the house. I would think that chipmunks and toads would stay away from a snake. We've never seen them before in the front. I know that animals leave toads alone, because of their bad taste. Joe and I were just out on the porch drinking some lemonade...I went to check on the toad...he's still where he was. Must be a good spot.
Balisha