Falling Behind

On blogging that is. But at least I've been a little better about getting out for fresh air and exercise for a change. The first day that I took a walk this fall, I walked for about 20 minutes and got shin splints! I am totally ashamed.

This is prime planting time in my neck of the woods and all those poor plants I dragged along with me all need a safe patch of ground to ride the winter out in. I am overwhelmed.

It doesn't help when I take pity on a poor, abused frog. One of my spastic ducks -- one I need to share a mug shot of -- caught a frog by the leg and proceeded to parade it around the yard, as the frog dangled and bounced around. It took a little finagling to force the frog out of the duck's bill. Once I did the poor little amphibian looked pretty beat up. Both his back legs were motionless and he had something hanging out of his mouth, which I was afraid might be internal organs. Not sure what to do, I just held him to keep him warm and alert. Eventually he swallowed whatever-it-was back down. Gradually he got some use back in one of his legs. The other leg, though, did not look promising.

So in the interest of giving him a safe place to heal, I put him in a jar and offered him a small caterpillar. He seemed to eat that, but turned his nose up at the cutworm I found -- I don't blame him, I wouldn't eat one either. So he spent the night in our house.

The next morning he looked somewhat improved, having regained complete use of his better leg and also use of the upper portion of his second leg. Not knowing that I would be capable of feeding him, I decided to let him free and check up on him later. He crawled under the canopy of my brocolli plants. When I went back to check on him, he was gone without a trace.