In the midst of the California drought, I admit, I think about frogs.
I think about them a lot.
So last summer, I hatched a plan.
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I decided to hand dig a miniature garden pond. My intention was to create a tiny oasis for creatures who might need water—and attract beneficial insects to the garden. Plus, I thought—what better workout?
So each morning, I dug for about an hour. Fueled only by my imagination of the future oasis, I dug. This was real work! After a month of chipping away at the hard ground, I had successfully created a six foot long, four foot deep dry pit.
It looked more like a shallow grave than a future pond.
This is where my imagination helped. If I squinted I could imagine what it might be like filled with water and teeming with life. A masterpiece.
I carefully placed sand in the bottom of the pit to prevent rocks from puncturing a pod liner, and then installed the liner, surrounding it with stones I scrounged from elsewhere on the farm. This was just in time for the first rains. I collected rainwater, invested in a few pond plants to keep the water clean, and added a few “mosquito fish” (guppies, really) to keep us safe from pests. Then I waited.
And I waited.
And waited.
First came the algae, which I dutifully skimmed off the pond.
Imagine my delight at the sound of the first bullfrog. It worked! I had a real pond!
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What I did not consider when locating the pond was how loud frogs can be. One frog became two, then four and then... many.
The tiny pond is a living oasis, a cacophony, drowning out conversation one might enjoy on the front porch. As we walked by, the pond suddenly became silent, only to resume when we were a safe distance away.
Frogs make me smile.
Apparently, given habitat, frogs happily reproduce. Thousands of frog eggs appeared in the pond just a two weeks ago. Of course!
Lesson: Create the conditions for life, and life will thrive.
With new life, comes joy... and abundance.
Every frog on eleven acres was looking for a wet environment for its offspring. Each day brings a new discovery. At this writing, thousands of frog eggs have turned into polliwogs. Song birds have arrived to celebrate the food source, and dragonflies dance above the oasis.
I think about them a lot.
So last summer, I hatched a plan.
So each morning, I dug for about an hour. Fueled only by my imagination of the future oasis, I dug. This was real work! After a month of chipping away at the hard ground, I had successfully created a six foot long, four foot deep dry pit.
It looked more like a shallow grave than a future pond.
This is where my imagination helped. If I squinted I could imagine what it might be like filled with water and teeming with life. A masterpiece.
I carefully placed sand in the bottom of the pit to prevent rocks from puncturing a pod liner, and then installed the liner, surrounding it with stones I scrounged from elsewhere on the farm. This was just in time for the first rains. I collected rainwater, invested in a few pond plants to keep the water clean, and added a few “mosquito fish” (guppies, really) to keep us safe from pests. Then I waited.
And I waited.
And waited.
First came the algae, which I dutifully skimmed off the pond.
Imagine my delight at the sound of the first bullfrog. It worked! I had a real pond!
What I did not consider when locating the pond was how loud frogs can be. One frog became two, then four and then... many. The tiny pond is a living oasis, a cacophony, drowning out conversation one might enjoy on the front porch. As we walked by, the pond suddenly became silent, only to resume when we were a safe distance away.
Frogs make me smile.
Apparently, given habitat, frogs happily reproduce. Thousands of frog eggs appeared in the pond just a two weeks ago. Of course!
Lesson: Create the conditions for life, and life will thrive.
With new life, comes joy... and abundance.
Every frog on eleven acres was looking for a wet environment for its offspring. Each day brings a new discovery. At this writing, thousands of frog eggs have turned into polliwogs. Song birds have arrived to celebrate the food source, and dragonflies dance above the oasis.