Friday, May 14, 2010

They grow up so fast!

For the last two weeks, I've really wanted to blog. I kept thinking of all the things I would write, all the things I wanted to share. I also kept ending up exhausted and/or away from home until late in the evening. I took today off for a dentist appointment, so I was bound and determined to post today.

This afternoon, I walked down to check on the tadpoles. When I got there, nary a one was in sight. My hand that was holding the camera started to tremble. Had the rain not come in time? Had a hungry snake eaten them? Or had they turned into frogs? I started walking around the edge of the big puddle, squatting down to look for them. Then I thought I saw something. Can you see it?
















How about now?
 Most of them kept hopping away before I could take a picture. This little guy or girl actually stayed still long enough for several shots.

I think they're leopard frogs, but I'm not sure. It doesn't really matter, as long as they eat the mosquitoes.

As of last Sunday, they were still tadpole-ish. I didn't really check that closely. I know the metamorphosis doesn't happen instaneously, which means they must've been in some in-between stage.

The fireflies have also made their debut of the season. In addition to being pretty, they, too, are natural enemies of the mosquito. I don't have any pictures of them, Maybe later in the season when there are more of them.

I finished Kes' socks two weeks ago. I just need to get them in the mail now.
I started on Ashley's socks right after I finished Kes'. I love the color combination and the fact that they're footies. They're padded on the soles, which would make them good for wearing as slippers, too. Maybe they would make good Christmas presents for certain female members of my family.



Saturday, May 1, 2010

Forward, toe!

I'm in the homestretch on Kes' second (belated) birthday sock. I only have twelve rounds left with every other one as a decrease round for the toe.

Even though there's so little left to finish the sock, I might not be able to finish it today. I have a lot to do both in the yard and in the house.

The tadpoles are doing fine, by the way. The recent rain expanded their puddles into a small pond. I checked on them after I came home from work yesterday, but could not get any good pictures. Most of them had congregated more towards the middle, despite having lots of room to spread out. A couple of them were speedily swimming around. I'm curious to see what kind of frogs they're going to be. Right now, they just look like little, black sperm. I'm wondering if I'll actually get to see them change. As long as they have enough water down by the barn, I'm not going to try to move them. One of my co-workers asked me to bring him some. I'm not enthused by the idea of transporting a container of tadpoles on the bus. It probably won't happen.

The honeymoon is over for nature. The trees and the bushes have shed their pretty blossoms and have gotten on with the business of making fruit.

Pear
Gooseberry