Frog Catching Days

I found this picture of my younger brother Christopher and I. This was back when I was about 10 or 11 and had a love for frogs! We had two small ponds in the backyard that were full of tadpoles in the spring and hopping with frogs the rest of the time. We had a statue of Pedro and his Donkey who would drink from the waterfall that poured out of the claw foot tub in the upper pond. Chris and I in the picture are sitting on the bridge part over where the upper pond spilled into the lower pond. This love of frogs I had has still carried with me even into my older years!

This picture was taken probably about three years ago...? Maybe two. This is my friend Joe who was a faithful frog catching buddy. This was at one of the many Pond Parties we had up at the Neiders back in the day...ah those were some fun times! The night this picture was taken I think we had a beer case that I had put about 15 frogs in ... we didnt keep them in there for long... it was really just to show everyone there what a good and quick frog catcher I was! :) he he Ok, I won't brag too much. Regardless of alllll the many frogs that were caught - there was THE bullfrog. The Bullfrog that was so big it fit into both my hands! (yes, I know I have smaller hands but it was still big!) We were so close so many times but we never did catch it ...completely that is. Let me tell you the story!

The night was dark - the grasshoppers were chirping and the folk around the fire were singing... we had nothing but a flash light and our bare hands. Joe and I had been scouting along the edge of the pond and as we made our way around - we knew we were getting closer. There! Just before the dock and fish feeder was a couple of bushes along the side of the pond. Joe was holding the light and as we carefully and quitely sat there and waited for the "Croak"... I saw a huge web and in that web was a spider...a very large one. I hate spiders... I am very afraid of spiders.... but wait! There was the bullfrog just on the other side of the web below the spider! What now?! Could I really pass up this opportunity of capturing the bull frog that we have sooo many times come out to hunt?! Could I let not only myself but Joe down as well? No! I could not! So, I took a deep breath - I kringed - I crept forward into the water and stelthfully got closer keeping my arms in pouncing position. I got closer and closer...(and closer to the spider too!) and then suddenly, it was time! SNATCH! He was in my hands! I took a quick leap forward to grab him and in jumping back I lost my grip on him and he slipped away... away into the dark waters. He was lost from us again. I of course, stomped (quickly) out of the water and started to make noises of gross-out-ment and started to shake all over (because I had to make sure I didn't have the spider on me ... or really just my body's way of being disgusted by being so close to the spider). It was such a moment of anxiousness and excitement and yet with such disappointment in the end. We never made it back to the pond to find him - it had been the last party of the summer. Perhaps someday I will be able to go back and catch him...or at least hear his croak and know that he is there. It would surely make me smile.