Wanton Frog Sex

I must have been stuck in a box or something for the past few weeks because it wasn't until yesterday when I went out to do yard work that I noticed that green things were coming up.  I guess I've been fooled by spring so many times that I just figured we had another month or so to go before anything of interest happened.  But sure enough we've got things growing up out of the mud, and not just crocuses either; the daffodils are up and have been at it for a while, the tulips are thinking about it, and so is our garlic. 

And of course, the wood frogs are having eager wanton frog sex in our pond.

The wood frogs and the peepers are always a bit problematic. They're certainly a welcome sign of spring, and they're definitely better than living next to a train or a highway or above a dance club.  But they're still loud.  Especially the peepers.  And we've found there's only one solution to loud frogs; fish.  When you put fish in the frog pond, the frogs realize their number is up, because fish eat frog eggs, and all that peeping and orgy was for making frog eggs.  It's not a very nice thing to do.  But it does shut them up.

If you put fish in the pond, other animals, like otters and hawks and blue herons, start taking a more keen interest in the pond.  And then their enemies in the food chain start hanging around.  Pretty soon you've got the whole of the animal kingdom in your back yard, and it isn't going peacefully.  The whole summer is like this, and then when the fall comes around and the pond freezes up, all the fish die because there's no way for us to keep the ice open and for the gases to escape. 

So, it seems like a lot of work, just to shut some frogs up.  I guess I should let them have their fun. 

tags: totally random  seasons changing