Last summer days froggin' on

Last night the overnight temperature was 20 C., after a day temperature of 34 C., it was gruesome for a first day of school in Ontario. Here are our teenage grandies in 2022 compared to 2023.

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I had friends while I was sitting on the back deck in the soft, gentle breeze. 

Tree frog #1 likes to sit in between the slats of my Muskoka chair. I pull the leg support out, and hope it'll jump down safely, and not get squished.

 It hopped down after MUCH encouragement, and landed under the table. I couldn't find it. Sitting back down, playing on my laptop, I enjoyed the afternoon. 

As the day passed, it began to turn from green to gray, peering at me sitting in my chair and nodding off! They are nocturnal, and sometimes croak in the day despite it being autumn. Usually they call for mates in springtime. People write that they sing in the fall to keep their voices strong.

Froggie #1 got tired of the action. He just wanted to sleep. It took off and went to hide in the hops vine. Can you see it on the railing?

It left behind a gift!

I moved the coffee table to get to the corner of the deck, and I heard a splat. Froggie #2 revealed itself. I've been hearing it singing just under the corner of the deck, and not been able to see it! 

I sat and watched. It moved around, then moved in fits and spurts over the the post, where it must have felt safe. It ate an ant crawling by, which was unusual. Then it went back to sleep.

gray tree frog from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I had trouble videotaping froggie #2. It was steamy and it fogged up the camera lens. He began singing, then promptly lay his chin down to sleep.

gray tree frog #2 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

It was there the next day, too!

Then the two of them began hanging out on the bench. When the time comes, they will hunker down and bury themselves under the leaves to sleep away the cold winter. I shall miss them! In the meantime, we've two more days of this heat.