My Adventures with Frog and Toad
I have a pretty intense startle response. Those who worked with me during the mouse infestation of our office in 2007 can tell you all about it.
But I digress…
Earlier this week, as I began the task of disassembling my backyard fountain for its periodic cleaning, I did not expect Frog to be sitting right where the panel to the pump was located. Predictably, I shrieked. Well…not really shrieked…more liked squeaked.
Frog didn't move.
Once I recovered, I set about to gently relocate Frog to a place less in the way.
It went way easier, because Frog stayed completely still for the entire move. Dead? No. Sleeping? Unlikely.
More like freeze mode.
I’ve seen it in bunnies. Recalling with some shame the summer I bought a pink BB gun with the idea of scaring them away from my precious flowers, the result was quite the opposite. My intended target would simply hunker down as the BBs whizzed by—missing by a little or a lot—depending on the accuracy of my aim.
How humiliating. I gave up that mission and sold the gun to a friend for her granddaughter.
I did learn, however, that freeze mode can be highly effective. Wait it out, and the danger will pass.
And pass I did, as I removed the fountain to another spot to clean it out. While doing so, I was startled once again—this time by Toad hightailing it out of my way. I barely had time to snap a rear-end photo before Toad had disappeared entirely.
A perfect example of flight mode.
I spend a fair amount of time trying to capture my wildlife neighbors in photographs. Depending on the subject, it’s either a delightful or frustrating pursuit. More times than not, it requires patience—something I will spend the rest of my life trying to cultivate in sufficient quantity.
I’ve also learned that because I’m not one who lives in flight or freeze mode, I can be really challenged when encountering someone who is. Communication has the potential to be really difficult for me—especially if I’ve brought a BB gun along. If I’m too direct, Frog will freeze and Toad will flee.
So all I can do (aside from eschewing the use of a BB gun) is continue to harvest my reserves of patience, in hopes that ultimately the photo will turn out. And if it doesn’t, I must leave them to the safety of their own worlds, knowing that it’s ultimately for the best.