Frogit

Anyone who says you can't find inspiration in your own backyard needs to visit mine.



Now this little guy appears to be totally out of his depth, not to mention living dangerously, what with all the frog-hungry snakes and herons hanging out in our hood. He doesn't look too worried, though, does he? That look on his face is downright smug. Whatever it took this petite green Spiderman -- climbing straight up a twenty foot wall was part of it -- he got where he wanted to be.

Being a frog isn't easy, I imagine. You're always looking up at the sky, but you're stuck in the dirt. You want to fly; you can only hop. You have to swallow a lot of nasty things simply to stay alive. Other, bigger critters likely think all you're good for is making a racket at night or starring in bad beer commercials. Suave French chefs might pinch your thighs now and then, but only to check how nice and fat they are.

When you're a frog, I'm sure that no princess shows up at your puddle to kiss you and change you into royalty. You're a frog for life. Sure, you might get to move to a bigger pond, but there are no guarantees you can stay there. There are only so many bugs to go around, and a bunch of other frogs living there or waiting to grab your spot on the lily-pad. We see enough roadkill to know that every frog does not have his day.

What's the point of climbing up out of the dirt, or leaving behind the safety of the pond? And, God, why try to move into a birdhouse, of all things? You could fall. Something that actually belongs there could show up and munch on you. A bigger frog could come along and kick you out. Or you might live a long and prosperous life doing things few frogs ever do.

Anyway. Good thing we're not frogs, right?

(dedicated to Doug Hoffman, who believes that "you can never have too many frog photos on your blog.")