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| From In the Garden |
Bathing beauties in a bathtub, puddle and pond? Let me explain. Two times a year Mr. Fix-it and I must tend to our swimming pool. Once in the spring to open it up, and once in the fall to close it down. Part of closing the pool requires draining some of the pool water. The excess water drains onto the lawn where it can pool and form puddles like it did on this day. I was struck by how many robins were taking advantage of the puddles formed from the pool water to bathe. They looked like they were having fun as you can see below.
Then I looked just outside of our fenced backyard and saw Mr. C's cows bathing in the farm pond. These cows are raised as beef cattle. After talking with Mr. C. he says he raises them until they weigh about 1200 pounds then he sells them to a distributor who then ships these gals out west where they are kept in stockyards and fed well. Once they reach a weight of about 2400 pounds they are then processed and sold as Angus. Sorry if I offend anyone but this is life and I found this information interesting. I knew the cows were beef cattle but had no idea how the process worked in this area. Now I know.
Well there is but one picture left of a bathing beauty isn't there? And it is the one bathing in the bathtub-believe it or not. The first picture shows one of the residents of my bathtub pond. The frog is a Pickerel Frog (Rana palustris) and is usually camera shy. On this day it just must have known it was a 'bathing beauty' day because it stayed put and let me snap quite a few photos. You would think that pot of stones, horsetails and lilies was placed in the bathtub pond just for this frog! Note: Pickerel frogs emit a secretion from their skin that can be irritating to humans so I was most happy we did not handle this frog....in the garden....bathtub pond.
Good morning Tina, what wonderful bathing beauties! Your bathtub sounds like a popular spa retreat for the critters at Tiger Gardens! We have seen the place in CA where many cows are raised on, Coalinga. It is the opposite of your neighbor's wonderful ranch.
ReplyDeleteFrances
Forgot to say, I posted and linked for veggie day this month. Better late than never.
ReplyDeletehttp://fairegarden.wordpress.com/2009/09/21/veggie-day-roundup-2009/
I guess water is the universal attractant. Beaches attract humans, ponds attract animals.
ReplyDeleteCute frog, glad you didn't touch him!
I love your watery frog photo. I am afraid that if I got to know cows any better, I would enjoy their meat less. So I am glad I don't live close to any.
ReplyDeleteGood morning all!
ReplyDeleteFrances, I bet stockyards are a most depressing place. I try not to think about them. I added your link and thanks for updating us all on your veggies. They look good!
Rosey, Yes, water is wonderful for all. I love the sound of it here and that it does attract frogs-even poisonous ones. That was an eye opener.
Les, I can totally agree. Cows are pretty docile animals and really nice to live around but thinking of their future is a downer. The frog was ever so nice to pose today. Usually it was quite elusive. It's neat to see it swim though.
I thought this was a post about your tub pond, I know you have talked about the cows before, nice they have a wateringhole.
ReplyDeletePickerals are pretty rare in this part of Michigan and it's cool to see one. Noogie!
ReplyDeleteNeat frog! We have a spot in the back I was going to add a frog from a friend to help eat up the mosquito larvae. A drainage issue in the back has created a small natural pond.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed all your bathing beauties, Tina! I can't tell the difference between a frog and a toad, unless they're green, but I think we have only toads here. The grandkids love to find them:) Sad to think of the cattle being shipped off and winding up on our tables, but as you say, that is life. At least your neighbor's cattle have a great life to begin with, complete with their own swimming hole!
ReplyDeleteThanks for checking in and adding my veggie link today!
Dawn, it kind of is in that there is a picture, albeit of a small portion of the pond. But it shows the pond is an ecosystem-which was a goal. I'll post on it one of these days again. I enjoy it so much.
ReplyDeleteMonica, They are spreading from what I've read and may come that way in a few years. They are quite common but I guess many mistake them for the less common leopard frog. I was so happy to be able to identify it or I'd be asking you for help. It is was neat to find it is one of only a few poisonous North American frogs.
Rose, Me neither! I was shocked when I id'd it as a frog and actually found the type. The dead give away is the square spots on its legs vs the leopard frog. They are all so welcomed to keep bugs down.
Good morning Tina, I love that frog photo! He is quite a looker! We had a big toad/frog (I don't know, it all happened so fast) come out of the back garden and the dogs were after it-- this guy was huge! Bigger than a softball. He finally hopped into the riprap to get away from the dogs.
ReplyDeleteYour frog looks like he's wearing plaid golfing pants;)
ReplyDeleteAll critters enjoy splashing around in the water. Finally rained a little here after 4 weeks of none.
Marnie
Dave, I don't know how I missed you-sorry! I have been going a mile a minute this morning. I bet frogs will show up in your natural pond even without help for you-a good thing. Just don't let the girls play with them unless you know what type. I'd love to have a boggy area to plant some neat plants. Sounds like an opportunity.
ReplyDeleteJanet, I bet that was exciting! More so for the poor frog than the dogs though-it must've been so scared. Dogs are about too silly to chase frogs and turtles and such. I mean really!
Marnie. Plaid pants indeed. He was quite a looker. Those squares helped me identify him. Glad you got some rain. We finally did too-all the news is Tennessee is flooded-not in my area. Only 2". Time to work the gardens now. 4 weeks is a long time no rain. Have you slowed down on posting? I looked for Thursday's post and did not find it. I missed it.
Well it's good to see that the wildlife are enjoying the drainage from your pool. Looks like fall is really here when this task is completed. :)
ReplyDeleteI had never seen pictures of your bathtub pond so I enjoyed reading your post. It's amazing how much a little water attracts wildlife, even puddles. What a cute frog!
ReplyDeleteGreat photos today. Love the froggie. It is sad to think of the cows but I try not to as it is part of the food chain and I do enjoy my beef. I think I could live without other meats but not my fish or beef. They had a slaughter house a few miles from when Nana and Baba went to FL for so many years and oh my, the cows were packed in the like sardines and it was not a plesant smell on slaughter days when driving by.
ReplyDeleteTina, I knew you had a bathtub pond, but forgot how it looked...It is wonderfully whimsical. I followed the link to the 2007 post. That was a fun read and wow, you and Skeeter have been blogging buddies for a very long time! Have a good day. gail
ReplyDeleteOur pond looks almost exactly the same! I'm not offended by the reality of the cattle industry, although I am a vegetarian. The saddest part for me when the cows are taken to auction. The moms just howl and howl for days and walk back and forth looking for their babies!
ReplyDeleteForgot to mention, I never see frog or toads! Wish I did though.
ReplyDeleteI love to get a look at the animals. Beautiful frog. I wish I had them in my garden. I know people who live a little further out of the city around here have them.
ReplyDeleteI wish the cows didn't have the future they have ahead of them, but I think as long as it happens, people should see and understand the chain that brings the food to their plates.
Cute post Tina. Glad that puddles provide a vital nutrient to our animal friends.
ReplyDeleteI had a big frog in N.C. that stayed close by. I had never seen one that big before. Sure was nice each Spring for him/her to appear. It sure was a garden buddy to me. I always looked for it.
Racquel, Oh yes on the fall. I know when I have to go scoop out all the acorns and leaves from the pool cover-what a tough job. The drainage was nice for the birds.
ReplyDeleteCatherine, That post was such an early post many haven't seen the bathtub pond. It has been a mainstay here and while only 35 gallons, it was free and simple. The fish do well and survive the winters. Too bad they don't survive the critters at night. I lost all of those ones to a night marauder, but have replaced them with some smaller goldfish. Ponds are nice for sure-not too much work really.
Mom, Baba took us by it one time when we visited him. It was pretty awful and I know he hated it. A part of life we tend to like to forget about, for obvious reasons.
Gail, Skeeter and sure have been blogging buddies for a long long time. She was not my first commenter (but should've been with all her loyalty and steadfastness). We met a few months after I began the blog on the newspaper website and have become good friends. Blogs do that, a neat thing.
Lzyjo, It is indeed a sad reality. I think it great you are a vegetarian. I wish I had the strength to be one too but no, not for me. My son decided he would be-for about 2 weeks. Oh dear did that cause some consternation when he told me all he learned about the food chain-like I didn't know. Frogs and toads do tend to hide and can be difficult to find but they are usually around helping eat the bugs.
Megan, The frogs are so fun to have around. I haven't seen any eggs this year but we had batch after batch of tadpoles in a 4' pool last year. Maybe some frogs will hitch a ride home with you one day?:)
Lola, They are such helpful creatures I welcome them all here. Those big frogs can be scary though-more dangerous for the bugs for sure.
Looks like everyone was having a great deal of fun! Your photos captured that so well. Loved the frog...neat patterns on its skin.
ReplyDeleteFroggie is so neat! We have the Leopard frogs here unless I mistook them for the Pickerel. Their range seems to be on the edge of us here in Augusta so it may have indeed been the Leopard we have. I will look closer next time I spot one and then will know....
ReplyDeleteThe Robins may have been looking for worms to pop up from the wet soil as well. It seems the only time I see Robins in our yard is when the ground is moist and not so dry. Sure moist now with over 4 inches of rain this weekend!
My meat does not come from a cow. It comes from the grocery store. That’s my story and I'm sticking to it....
Great frog! Richard just closed down our pool, too. Since ours is salt water, it doesn't attract critters except butterflies and dragonflies.
ReplyDeleteCameron
That was a nice treat to see all those animals enjoying your water. Love the frog!
ReplyDeleteWow! you have cattle in your garden pond, and all I ever get is frogs!
ReplyDeleteI hadn't seen your bathtub pond before either Tina. Thanks for the link. I had envisioned a claw foot tub for some reason?!! Now I know it's not. Do you drain all the water or some? It was a little unclear to me. I'm trying to figure how to winterize my pond & keep my fish so this is interesting to me. The photo of the frog is great. btw, I have a stock yard right up the street from me...
ReplyDeleteHi all, Long day so just responding to questions but thanks for dropping by.
ReplyDeleteKathleen, I've had this pond since 2005 and have drained it only once. That was to clean the algae away and was when I was a pretty big novice at ponds. I no longer clean the algae out and don't mind it on the sides of the blue tub. I wished it was a clawfoot but it is okay. It took about two years before I figured out how to keep the water balanced and clear, now I never ever have a problem with clear water, but the algae is still there. As for the winter, normally if it freezes enough that the entire pond freezes over or looks like it will then I plug in my pond heater. Other than that as long as there is a hole for oxygen to get thru the fish are fine and I leave my pump running all winter. Pond heaters are widely available for about $30. Since my pond is so tiny (35 gallons) all it takes is a half hour and the entire pond is unfrozen. The water is still cold though and the fish still hibernate. Hope this helps. I think Catherine is really the best person with knowledge on ponds, but I can say this, each person has to learn what works best.
Tina, Would a "sucker fish" help out with the algae?
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