You May have to kiss a lot of toads

To find your prince - at least that may be one story in tiny pond outside breakfast nook windows. Had big plans about changing up pond - adding trickling water rocks and generally spiffing it up. Somehow the costs in energy and finances of dealing with DH's recent health kick in the pants (aka stroke) has ended up with an amusement park for toads and frogs. Only the smoother skinned pointed snout one is a frog - all others are toads.

We got a real laugh from the morning line up (the toads get in water to eat whatever they find and rehydrate) to exit pond. Larger toad appears to be practicing for some serious rockclimbing.

Doesn't take much to amuse us here on Buhlaland - and that is good - with weather guessers doing a countdown on number of 10o F days in a row - we are grateful for inexpensive amusement close to the air conditioned ceiling fanned house!

I haven't Croaked!

Terrence the Toad reminded me I haven't checked in on the bloggy world in over a week.

Buhlaland is literally crawling with toads - from smaller than a dime to critters the size of a hardball -all intent on finding moisture and bugs. Bugs we have in abundance but this summer moisture comes out of a hose or sprinkler. Don't want to rant about weather -we've been in a warmish spell (nighttime lows in the high 70's) and today saw 102 on our deeply shaded porch thermometer.

Weather and toads don't have a thing to do with why I'm not blogging. DH hasn't been well (we think he is slowly improving - not terminal just tiring) , I'm stressing about finding a job and generally ignoring the biblical admonition "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Phil. 4:6 NIV

We have always had more than abundant provision. We are daily reminded of God's faithfulness in our walk with Him. My head and most of my heart knows things will work out better than I could have imagined -- my stomach and bit of my often rebellious heart keep bringing up "what if it doesn't happen this time?" BUT - we rely on God's grace He is more than enough.

If I had a picture of a nice frog - then I could use the acronym Fully Rely On God and be all clever. So you have to accept my word for it - FROG works.

The sweet doe (I suppose she is sweet - she hangs around here and has beautiful eyes - for all we really know - she might be the head of the Mean Girls in her herd!) still hangs around our place. Saw her and her fawn a week or more ago - trotting along in our front pasture and then leaping over a 5 foot tall fence as if it were nothing.

So little real news, the toads and I decided to check in with the blog world. It is hot, quiet and healing on Buhlaland and that is good. Ribbit--ribbit

Early morning rain

The small toads around here have rebelled against my camera - I almost had a good shot of 5 of them out enjoying the early morning soaking we got. Alas - ended up with only decent shot being this one tiny fellow up near the large cedar log we have in the side garden. We use pecan shell mulch - it looks so pretty when it is wet! No big news here - other than the blessing of over an inch of much needed rain.

It is a little muddy in Buhlaland!

Macro views

I tend to just click away when I see something I might want to post - but this morning had smaller visitors so I tried to use the macro setting on our aging digital camera. First was the praying mantis who seems to be planning to start a family on our front porch. It is still out there this afternoon - hanging around on the milk can and generally scoping out the location. Must be a market savvy consumer - the slogan in real estate still is "location, location, location".I tried to take a picture of him (or her - I confess to total ignorance in determining gender in bugs) while holding it on my hand but he/she jumped onto a wallboard. Then our supposedly prayer inclined critter showed more of an imitation of Barry Manilow (not a prayer position, more like playing a keyboard).

By the door to our garage I found one of the treefrogs who make a big racket during the night hours. He (again I haven't a clue re: gender in frogs either - actually I must admit to some confusion determining gender in some HUMANS but that is likely to be an age/southern thing) proceeded to leap down onto my rapidly dying back hostas and I caught one more shot of M/Ms Frog before it disappeared into the vegetation. Cool huh?

Not a plague of anything - maybe an enticement for snakes but these little guys are everywhere.

We are overrun right now with hundreds of these tiny toads. I don't think they are frogs unless they are a variety of tree frog (though most of our tree frogs are bright green). Caught this little guy and put him in a box to take a picture with a quarter for size comparison - none turned out in focus since he was determined to get away! I'd cover him with my hand then pull my hand away and click - so here are the results. The phrase I kept thinking of was "all creatures great and small, our Lord God made them all". Remember the books and tv series about a country vet in England - All Creatures Great and Small? Anyway - this is what is showing up in our rainy land (I know I promised not to mention rain unless we got 6 or 7 inches - and we have passed that this week!).

It is good in Buhlaland - maybe the toads/frogs will eat some of the flies!