Something was moving along my peripheral vision as I mowed the stretch beside the garage. Was it a mouse? I wondered.
I stopped mowing (easy to do with an old-fashioned mower where you don’t have to worry about stopping and starting a mower) and investigated further.
Silly me. That was no mouse. That was clearly a toad hopping along.
Why did I decide to leave my camera inside?
Oh right, because I almost lost my lens cap the last time I tried the “mow with a camera around my neck” routine.
Still, it was clearly a poor decision.
I repented my camera-leaving sin and returned, certain that the toad would be gone.
I was wrong.
I took shot after shot, struggling to focus on the toad amidst the bramble of weeds and hailed-out daffodils.
Mr. Toad mustn’t have liked my flash, because he hopped right out to where the lighting was more agreeable.
He posed happily against the garage for several shots, before coming out into the center of the patio to sunbathe a bit.
I was broken from my toad-fancying reverie by the whir of a boat on the lake.
What a sight I must have been to the boaters! Tush in the air, head to the ground, abandoned lawnmower in the yard.
But I got some good pictures of the princely toad.
Unfortunately, he isn’t likely to be in my age range.
**The life expectancy of the American toad (according to this source) is around 5-10 years. Definitely too young for me. **
I know a couple of little boys around these parts who would find that totally cool!
How nice of him to come out and pose for you!