A Trip to the Pond

Last weekend we were a bit bored {translation: we didn't want to do dishes} so we hiked down to the pond on the neighbor's property and had an adventure. 

It was about a third of the way full and very clear.

You could see right down to the slimy muddy bottom.

There were frogs there but we couldn't find them; they were too well hidden.

We did spot a large assortment of bugs.

I believe this is supposed to be a picture of a bug that wraps itself in mud and pretends to be part of the ground, all innocent like. Very clever.

I was having fun playing with the slimy vegetation built up around the edges of the pond. 

See what I mean? All built up and gooey.

There were pond plants growing through the mud and water. 

We found a lovely bunch of frog eggs and they were already developing into tiny frogs. I'd never seen frog eggs look like that so I thought it very fascinating.

Kind alike how my husband thought it was fascinating to find a younger clump of frog eggs stuck to a stick in the mud.

He went off exploring and I took pictures of him as he scrambled around in the woods and threatened to fall in the pond.

Of course he didn't; but he did come close a few times.

On our way back, we spotted the same alligator lizard we'd seen on our way down. So we cleared a space on the phone and took a picture. He was huge! 

Back safe at my parents' garden, we heard a croaking and spotted this little guy hiding out in the battered pool cover.

He was pretty camera shy and I had to catch him three times before we could get a good picture. When we let him go, he just sat on the cover looking dazed and probably hoping we couldn't see him.