Frog Safari

I was going crazy stuck working from the burrow all week. It is like I have two jobs at the same time. I have to get my assignments done for the office as well as handle a six page list of domestic duties my wife hands every morning at 7am sharp. I jumped at the first opportunity to escape. My boss at the newspaper was looking for a volunteer to do a story in the field. I said yes before she even completed her sentence as to what the assignment was. What did I just volunteer for? Hold on let me check. Apparently, I am going on a “frog safari” whatever that is.

The next morning I arrived for the tour. Our guide was dressed like Crocodile Dundee. I asked him where was the Land Rover.?(This is a safari, we need a rugged tour vehicle like you see in those African safari documentaries on TV.) Nope, apparently we have to hike through a mile of swamp to get the vernal pool where the frogs hang out.

It was real jungle out there. You could barely see three feet ahead of you. I was expecting a tiger to jump out at any moment and devour me!

We finally arrived at our destination. Our guide explained that frogs are sensitive to the presence of other critters. We had to keep our voices down and peek through the stalks to see them. The stalks created a natural wildlife blind.

I tried getting some photos through the vegetation but as you can see they are terrible. I decided to sneak off for a better vantage point.

I slowly crawled out on a lily pad which gave me unobstructed views of the vernal pool. I started clicking away with my camera and getting some great shots. I am going to make the front page with this story!  Then I turned around and noticed I was drifting away from shore. This can’t be good. I yelled out to the rest of the tour group but they had apparently left for the next location. (Thank goodness I brought snacks!)

Frog: “Hey buddy, you look a bit lost.”

Chippy: “Technically, I know where I am, west side vernal pool #3.”

Frog: “I meant, you look like you’re out of your natural environment. I remember chaperoning the chipmunk safari last fall with my son. I think the place was called the Woodpile”

Chippy: “A chipmunk safari?”

Frog: “Of course, my son’s class was there to study the primitive instinctive hoarding behaviors of your species.”

Chippy: “Funny thing, I was here on a frog safari to learn about the simplistic lives of wild frogs.”

They both had a good laugh.

[Later that day at the bar] “You wouldn’t believe what happened to me at the pool today. I was taking my siesta and comfortably floating in the pool when along comes this chipmunk floating by on a lily pad.” His drinking buddies turned to him saying, “You have obvious had too many fly beers, time to call you a cab home.”