Nocturnal creatures

Do you ever wish that you could just put the world on pause and take a few weeks off on a deserted island somewhere?  Even if you never had, it does sound nice, right?

Well, things are calming down a bit, but I say that hesitantly as it is still a volatile process.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Lena has done her best to keep things interesting and thereby distract me from other parts of my life.

Last night she attempted to do this by bringing a new character into our nightly line-up.

Every night before bed we take one last trip outside so that Lena can have a bathroom break.  Lately this has coincided with the daily sprinkler run in my yard, so we usually wait it out and go out after the waterworks are complete.

Yesterday evening was typical in many ways, including the sprinkler run and the visit outside in the dark.

Lena is by nature an inquisitive gal.  She likes to sniff around in the grass and look for "tasty" surprises.  Normally this consists of grass clippings, leaves or dirt.

This particular time I did not pay much attention to her scavenging.  We went out, she peed and we came back in.

As I bent over to remove her collar and leash, I noticed that she was setting something down on the carpet from outside.  Initially I shrugged it off as something plant based.

Then I noticed the movement.  I assumed that at worst she had brought in an insect.  A June bug or a moth at most.

I turned away briefly to find a shoe with which to smush the bug only to be startled into the moment by a small and green object hopping across the carpet towards me.  Yes, it was a small frog, escorted into my home in the mouth of my dog.

In a moment of panic, I considered my options.  Clearly, smushing the creature was out of the question.  I briefly considered the possibility of letting it move into the house and maybe help me out with the bugs.  Fortunately, I realized quickly that this was less than feasible.

A far more manly-type woman would have just picked him up and set him down outside.  Me?  I went to the kitchen, fetched a plate and bowl and made an attempt to trap it.

This proved not quite as successful as I had envisioned, but in the end, the frog jumped onto the plate and patiently remained still while I ran for the door and freed him into the night.  It was all over in a matter of minutes, but it sure got my heart race pumping.  It was a strong reminder that as a single gal living independently, there are sometimes less than appealing tasks to be done and I cannot ask anyone else to help, because they are not there.

From now on, I will be more observant.  Promise.

OK, that isn't true.  I fully expect that my watchfulness will hardly remain careful or heightened past tonight.  But now I know that frogs like Tupperware plates and can use that to my advantage.  I hope the little guy made it out into the night and lives to share the story of his crazy encounter with indoor carpeting and the inside of my dog's mouth.  It would be so much more exciting than my story.