Friday, July 6, 2012

Catskill frog pond


The old frog pond was little more than a ditch, dug when the driveway was built. After a flood several years ago, we had to rebuild a large section of the driveway, and where earth and rocks were taken for that purpose, a new pond formed, organically.


We weren't aware that it was happening, but frogs and dragonflies and fireflies found it, and flowers grew around it.


 A new ecosystem grew.


This week, among the abundance of daisies I found a lone foxglove.


The water in the nearby brook runs clear, but the frog pond relies on rain, and is filled with strange clumps of matter in various stages of growth and decay--good camouflage for a frog resting on a stick.


I wrote a bit about frogs and ecology here. I am always relieved when I walk to the pond, and find that the frogs are still there.

20 comments:

  1. Absolutely magic!! Your last two photos look like Monet. Definitely use them in your essay book.

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    1. Ha ha, I'm going to have to look at Monet's waterlily painting again, but I'm pretty sure they were a lot prettier!

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  2. Frankly, I don't know how you ever leave there. Those flowers grew by themselves? Isn't nature amazing?

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    1. Yes, they grew by themselves! It's a mystery to me too. I guess seeds blew from another area.

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  3. beautiful. I love 'wild' nature, for lack of a better word. I think you know what I mean. great place you life in :)

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  4. How fortunate to have a little spot like this so close. That little foxglove is just delightful. I'm glad your little frog friends are doing well!

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    1. The foxglove was a surprise. A zillion daisies, buttercups, forget me nots, and one foxglove?

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  5. How nice that flogs and fireflies found that pond.Flogs make music and fireflies give lights. It is the ecosystem!

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  6. i love that such beauty built itself for you to enjoy. so lovely. i love the sound of frogs. yes....what haricot said....music and light. gorgeous.

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  7. See now it is me that think that this tale might make a nice childrens story.

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  8. You are so observant. It would make a nice children's story as Sweetgum says.

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  9. It looks beautiful Jen and wildlife always seem to be able to sniff out water wherever it is!

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  10. Hi Jen,
    How interesting to see how the new pleasant environment takes shape out of nothing (actually seemingly nothing)! Frogs, dragonfly, even firefly! and flowers! I love that. Thank you for sharing this.
    cosmos

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  11. i love that it formed itself anyway!
    i hope to have a little pond one day here in england. back in montenegro it would have meant attracting all sorts of nasties, including snakes.

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  12. This is just the kind of moment I live for. I think that foxglove gave from my garden, seeding EVERYWHERE.

    You are ever so welcome.

    Wait till GG reads this, she's going to want a frog pond too.

    Worrisome.

    xo Jane

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