They hop about.
Our backyard is a veritable toad-city, the pond providing a natural pool for an occasional toad swim and all the shade and garden nooks and crannies for dwelling. It might at times be almost plague-like, if you don’t like toads, but we appreciate how they dine on unwanted bug life.
The Godfather.
But the biggest toad of all, the Godfather Toad, if you will, is gone. That toad had to be weighing in at 10 ounces, for sure. I mean, he must have really been packing away the mosquito larvae. He was huge and he was a governing presence. But he flew too close to the sun, attempting to stay hidden in tall grass…the same grass Dave was mowing.
He will be missed.
The garden is a little less welcoming now. The mosquitos bzzzzzssszzzz in temporary victory. The little toads wonder what the future holds, watching for the next time the loud green machine will come rolling out like thunder. For the Godfather is gone. He is dead. No more Mr. Big Toad.
Yes, I still think of him. I actually felt really bad, because I liked seeing him every once in a while. I’m wondering if he was the big one though? The Godfather might still be lurking, making offers that the little wiseguy toads can’t refuse. It was hard to tell after…
But I have thought of him often after that day, truly, I felt and still feel bad; he sort of looked up at me, like, “what the heck did you do?”. I always swirve to avoid rabbits and yes, even prarie dogs. I was pulling into work just yesterday, in the parking lot of our corporate place in Broomfield and there was a large bull snake attempting to cross the driveway, for what purpose I did not know nor inquire; but I stopped traffic so he wouldn’t meet the same fate as Mr. Big Toad. I got out and shoed him back under a nice shady tree and he smiled in appreciation. I thought about bringing him home for the backyard but thought Jeanie might not like that, the grandkids would have though… I know about the whole Satan thing but I don’t think that mankind being plunged into perpetual, eternal destruction was this bull snake’s fault. Must we all be punished for the sins of our fathers???
Poor, poor toad. My deepest sympathy for your loss.
When we lived at our last rental home we had lots of garter snakes in our lawn. When Bry would go out to mow….well you know. It was not a pretty sight. Bry never could see them in the lawn until it was too late. My mom has lots of them in her yard too. Bry wanted to bring one home. I’d be okay with that if he could catch one. Then maybe we’d have less ants and earwigs in our yard. We too want toads for our future pond.
Does this mean that the Godfather got whacked?? I’m sure theres some other Godfather wanna be out there that wants to take over the mob.