In lieu of an Obligatory Running Note, this post is brought to you by the “Frog Blog”. Yes, I’ve managed not to kill the 4 tadpoles Heather gave us when Linda and I visited her almost 2 weeks ago! Well, I haven’t killed them yet, anyway.
One tadpole (we’ll call him #1, bottom left of the photo) sprouted arms last week, has been floating around some leaves near the surface for a few days, and last night took up a perch on a submerged rock. This morning I found him all the way up out of the water, on a leaf! I’m wondering what to feed him now that he’s out, and he’s almost reabsorbed his tail (which serves as a source of nutrients during metamorphosis).
Another tadpole (#2, top left of the photo) popped his forearms a couple of days ago and seems to be following the same behaviour progression as #1. He’s spending more time sitting still on the bottom and popping up to the top (to breathe?) occasionally. #1 did this for a few days and then started floating around a lot, each day clinging more and more to the plants.
I’ve tried to get closer-up pictures of these guys, but my cheap little camera fuzzes them out too much. I’ll have to try again with hubby’s higher-resolution camera.
I’ve learned way more about froggies than I ever planned to this summer, thanks to tadpole-donor Heather, our local pet store, and lots of “tadpole to frog” searches on Google. Little Runner seems to be really enjoying her pets, too. So much so that we’ve had to closely supervise her attempts to “help” them! These are itty bitty froggies – it won’t take much to squish them.
Erm, I didn’t run this week. Haven’t since last Tuesday. Didn’t I already take off a week of running in July? What’s with taking this last week off too? I’ll tell you what, it has everything to do with not having my short term goals lined up for this fall (and only a little to do with hubby’s changing shift work and a son’s birthday weekend).
I hereby resolve to post some reasonable, math-based, running goals with race deadlines attached by this Thursday, August 18, 2005.
All Downhill From Here 
OK, you are going to so have to put those frog pictures behind the “MORE” link or I’m going to have to toss you from the blogroll! I have a pathological fear of frogs –something about their fingers and toes weirds me out. I have been known to cross the street when there is one blocking my way on the sidewalk. Yes, it’s illogical. No, I can’t get over it!! Excuse me while i go have heebie-jeebies now!
By: Skatemom on August 16, 2005
at 9:16 am
I think these are SO cool! What’s up with Skatemom’s phobia? Frogs are wonderful!
By: Nancy Toby on August 16, 2005
at 10:59 am
hehe! i used to catch and raise tadpoles all the time when i was a kid. it drove my mom nuts, since after they turned to frogs they’d always escape and my mom would be the one to find them. in the windowsil. dried.
By: jeff on August 16, 2005
at 1:27 pm
I don’t know why, but the first picture looked like a bowl of soup when I first saw it. I was hoping you hadn’t eaten the frogs. 😀
How are those running goals coming?
By: Jon in Michigan on August 17, 2005
at 8:21 am
Cute little froggies. Of course, if it was snakes, I might have to agree with Skatemom.
By: Dawn (aka Pink Lady) on August 17, 2005
at 1:16 pm
I LOVE frogs! I have frog ceramics all over the house…frog statuary all around my house…frog pics on my blog…frog pals in my gardens…
and then there’s Kermit…
🙂
By: *jeanne* on August 21, 2005
at 3:43 am