THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS

I've written many times about my three cats & their various activities. I've also written about my life-long interest in turtles & the collection of exotic species I keep to this day.

Living in a rural area, I have also had my share of wild reptile "visitors"; snakes, lizards & turtles. Add all the birds, squirrels, possums, armadillos, stray dogs, etc., traversing my property & I have a regular menagerie of animals coming thru the area.

Sometimes I feel like I am living a part -- or at least a few chapters -- in the book by Kenneth Grahame ... The Wind in the Willows. The main characters in the book -- Mr. Badger, Mr. Mole, Mr. Toad & Mr. Rat -- have certainly -- with the exception of the badger, as I doubt they are found in Arkansas -- all been visitors in "real life" to my homestead. [Examples would be Mr. Mole, or his relatives, digging up the ground & Mr. Rat's kin are often left -- in pieces -- on the front porch, thanks to to my cats.]

While I have written previously about the local amphibians -- i.e. the chirping of the Spring Peeper Frogs, signaling the change of Winter each year -- there are plenty of other frogs & toads living here along with all the other species of animals. If it is one thing I have plenty of, it is frogs & toads.

I often think of Thaddeus Toad from The Wind in the Willows. Mostly it is when I am riding on my John Deere mower, cutting the grass. Not only do I have to watch the cutting path I am following, but I also have to be aware of the toads which are hopping just a few feet in front of my lawn mower.

Toads are slow hoppers & I have to be careful to avoid them. They do not jump as frogs do; another amphibian to avoid while on the mower. Toads are slow. At times, I have had to stop my mower & physically move the toads to another part of the yard. [No warts ... yet.]

Several years ago, from my good friend Dr. Roger Dew, I received a "Toad House" as a gift. It's a small, ceramic cottage with a solar light in it. It has an opening to to encourage toads to use it as a shelter & thus any toad living in it will be beneficial to the surrounding garden areas by eating the damaging bugs. How organic !!

So far, my very own "Thaddeus Toad" has not shown up in the little cottage. Instead, he/she seems to have set up residence in one of my orchid plants.

This toad has been with me now for almost two months. He/she is always in the same pot, with the same orchid. Sometimes the toad is on top of the moss. Other times the toad is "invisible", buried in the moss.

Having trouble seeing the toad ??

Little "Thaddeus" is a bit easier to see in the above photo.

And finally, a close up of my little toad friend.

While I may not have all the characters of Mr. Grahame's book, & the animals are certainly not speaking English to me, -- [I don't know what Wob's is always saying to me. I think it is "Cat-Speak" ... for "Feed me".] -- I do have a varied & interesting group of animals to meet & greet each day. Sort of my own version of -- within reason -- The Wind in the Willows.