Those Meddling Humans

It was that really hot Saturday we had a couple weeks ago when I decided to spend the day on my friend's porch, reading. The sun was shining, the book was good, and I was ready to fall into the story.

As I stepped onto the porch, I instantly noticed something different. There was a rock on the railing gate. Now, mind you, I am a rock person. I pick them up, observe them, and sometimes take them home with me. Whenever I move myself and belongings, I curse this obsession. So, on this day I marveled at this rock. It looked unusual.

















I moved in closer. Yes, a very strange rock. Closer. Ah! It wasn't a rock! It was a Toad!

A toad! Up here on the second floor? On the gate railing? Strange...very strange. How did it get here?

I ran for the camera and began to document this marvel. Upon closer inspection, this toad seemed particularly grey, and ill looking, sleeping all curled up as it was, indeed, ill. I said to myself, "Toads like the wet and dark. This toad will dry out up here! He obviously needs my help!"

So I got a manila folder from the recycling bin, and placed it where the toad could get on it.The toad immediately obliged. He began to move towards the edge of the folder and I yelled, "Stop!" and he did. I quickly went down the stairs to the ground level and found a bush to put him under.

I took a bunch of pictures, and he  looked right into the camera! Sigh. There. Dark and wet. Perfect. My job is done. Aren't I the helpful human? I returned to the upper floor to resume reading the book, but whenever I got comfortable, I couldn't help but see how my new friend was faring.

Suddenly he began to move. "Underneath the dark porch.." I thought. But no! He went up the steps! And I thought, "No way! He isn't going to..." But he did. He began to make his way back up to the second floor!

This was too remarkable to not capture digitally, so I began to click, and then remembered that I had video capabilities on my camera. I should note at this point that when my camera decides that the subject is in focus, it chirps twice. Perhaps that was the source of his interest in me. Check out this video:

Yep! He jumped right onto my camera! Ha! I only wish that I had a camera to take a picture of him on my camera!

Then he proceeded to climb right back up the railing to almost exactly where he had been before.

I felt guilty for moving him to begin with, so I went back downstairs to get the manila folder, thinking of using it to return him to his original post, and I yelped! I snake slithered by!  I put him where a snake would have eaten him for sure....meddling human.

I've learned my lesson.



This is a wonderful story which includes a magic frog (not toad...oh well), but it is truly wonderful.