Bull Frogs

There are bull frogs in the shallows of our lake.  Cat tails, wild iris and scrub willow provide habitat and hiding places.  Bull frogs can weigh 1 pound.  They eat anything they can swallow including other frogs, birds, bats and fish. This is breeding season.  The girls are standing by, ready to pick the best guy.  And so, the males call.  Bull frogs are called bull frogs because their call sounds like the roar of a bull.  In the flush of competition, males demonstrate their bona fides. The calling goes on at night. 

I had intended to simply provide a link to a calling bull frog so you could hear for yourself. Here is that link. 


But I found a short video that is well worth watching.  It is a cliff hanger.  Don't skip to the end.  Watch the whole thing.

Not for Sissies

My friend is moving to Assisted Living.  There he will get help with his personal care and nutrition.  He will have a small apartment, surrounded by others with the same requirements.  I stopped by his house recently.  He was in his garage.  We stood there together and looked around.  It is a wonderful garage, telling the story of his life.  In the middle, a hot car.  He does not drive anymore. The car is one of many he has bought and loved.  On one wall his tools and work bench.  Tools for household repairs, and tools for his cars.  Screws, nuts and bolts in glass jars.  On another wall are shelves holding file boxes marked with the names of civic and community organizations.  Some were his passion.  Others his wife's.  She died several years ago.  Her grand piano is in the living room.  None of his children or grandchildren play.  Next to the files are the gardening tools, then the Christmas decorations.  There are cupbords holding paint for interior walls and exterior trim.  Pet paraphenalia for both dogs and cats.  A large fan, space heater, and then small kitchen appliances.

We didn't talk much.  We knew that none of these things would go with him to Assisted Living.  My friend is in his nineties.  He can no longer manage on his own.  As we closed the garage door he said "old age is not for sissies."

Five Foot two, Eyes of Blue

Almost 100 years ago this catchy tune was part of the reckless abandon of the Roaring Twenties. 

Five foot two,

eyes of blue

oh what those five feet could do....

Take a minute - get up and do the "Charleston" and listen:

More conservative countries were scandalized.  Our US "flappers" were finally free of corsets and long skirts. 

This summer another five footer will be in the news.  She is Dalma Rushdi Malhas, the only woman who will represent Saudi Arabia in the Summer Olympics next month.  She is a show jumper.  Many in her country are sill scandalized at the sight of even an uncovered female head. 

The Saudi's are creeping cautiously toward accommodation. It is probably fortunate that this world class athlete competes in a sport that does not require a skimpy costume. Read about Dalma's Olympic opportunity  and see an even better picture of her in mid-jump.  See in her eye the intense focus of a champion.   Oh, what those five feet can do.