Life: There is a future.

Hi everyone,

As I sit here by the still clear waters, quietly contemplating the past few seasons and snacking on the odd fly that strays within my grasp, I cannot help but notice that some of the trees around my pond are losing their colour, with a few beginning to shed their leaves. Now, that's something that can be a bit of a pain in my life, I can tell you. Why? You may ask. It's simply that all those leaves which drop into my home, the pond, if left to rot in its depths, they can poison the water that formerly gave life not only to me, but my friends and a host of other beautiful creatures, not to mention my food.

As it happens, the man who lives here, he clears these leaves from my home, making it tidy and leaving the water fresh, sweet smelling and sparkling. You know, not all frogs are so well thought of, so, if you know of a pond with frogs and the like living in it, do them a favour and clean out those nasty dead leaves. The pond will benefit, as will all the life in it. Right, now that's out of the way, I can get down to speaking about what's been happening in life.

Lately, I've been a little wary of coming out from under the ferns and stuff, and this is because it's noticeably colder earlier on in the day. I can still listen to the man talking to his friends though, and it truly disheartens me to hear the continuing discussion about 'global warming' 'croak!'. They spoke about somebody called David Miliband, I hope I can call him David, although I feel pretty sure that others call him something else behind his back? Anyway, Miliband is not easy for a frog like me to remember, but David is such an easy common name to remember. Well, I digress. I wanted to tell you all about what he apparently said today at some meeting(?) I understand that meetings are some sort of gathering, and gatherings I understand very well. It seems that David is all for reducing carbon emissions. 'Hear! hear! Ribbit!!'

On the other hand, and after something else I overheard, I'd say that David is being just a tiny bit naughty. He wants that all you humans use less energy in your homes. Why? Because he says, it is the equivalent of taking lots and lots of your nasty smelling cars off the road, which will reduce tons and tons of carbon whatsits from the air around us. In the meantime, while everyone (except those who can afford to pay for it and not consider what it's costing them.) is using less energy, and the friendly older folks among humankind are freezing their codds off during winter, he, no doubt, will burn even more fuel to keep himself warm while he's at home, then drive his big fat car to work like everybody else. The worst is, while he tells you humans what you should be doing to do 'your bit', his government are going to widen one of your largest motorways (just to begin with.). No doubt it's so that it can take even more traffic, traffic that will doubly pollute this lovely world we all live on. I don't know about the rest of you, but this is a bit two-faced David, and make no mistake about it.

Life: Is there a future? Certainly not for humans who continually tell you one thing, and actually mean something different altogether. I say: reduce the number of vehicles on our roads. This is the only way to reduce those carbon emissions, and do it before it really is, too late!
Anyway, I think that it's a bit warmer now, so I'm off in search of something tasty to eat. So, until next time,

I'll be seeing you... Stay safe.

Froggy

Portent

Hi everyone,

All of a sudden, there's a chill in the air. Well, this isn't at all surprising, after all, tomorrow marks the coming of Autumn. Thankfully, I've still got lots of juicy flies to snack on, and those big succulent worms are everywhere, Mmmm! Hey! Is it just me, or have you also noticed a mark difference in the weather we've had this year?

It's strange, but until I overheard, the man who lets me live in his garden, talking about something he called, "global warming" I was never even aware there was such a thing. Apparently, and bear it in mind that I'm only a simple frog, he says that it may have a catastrophic effect on life as we know it.

Now, this may come as a surprise to the rest of you humans, but we frogs also have a history. Yes, it's true! Long, long ago, certainly before I was brought into this world, it is recorded that all this has happened before. When I was just a tadpole, I learnt that dramatic changes in the earth's climate, like the one the man was discussing, were brought about by something that caused the sun to disappear(?) and this eventually caused the mass extinction of... oh, I dunno, anyway, there were lots of really gigantic creatures (much bigger than me!) that died. Honestly, I swear that it's the truth!

What has this got to do with you lot? Well, from what the man was saying, the current climatic changes are being caused by the greed and selfishness of mainly wealthy humans who crave for even more money, whatever that is? than they already have. It seems that they keep on chucking their filthy pollution into the atmosphere at an alarming rate, like it didn't matter for some reason. I understand that some of you caring humans are trying to put a stop to it, but let me tell you... IT'S TOO BLOODY LATE!!!

Of course, being a frog, my kind will still be here long after humans have torn their little world apart. Did you know that we can hibernate for years? Yup! And when I wake up again, one thing is certain, there's going to be a whole lot more space for us frogs once you and all them damned cats have all gone. "Ribbit!!"

I'd hate to have to tell you, I told you so,

I'll be seeing you... Stay safe.

Froggy

Time of plenty

Hi everyone,

This is a time of plenty. My domain, as I once told you all, seems to go on forever, and within this most beautiful wild expanse, I have discovered bountiful things to eat, and of course, it's rightly when I need it the most. A frog's life is indeed, quite a happy one. As I sit here under the leaves of the Lady's Mantle, away from the prying eyes of those pesky devil cats, I look out over my glorious pond, watching countless tiny oxygen bubbles floating up towards the mirror flat surface, each formed in the crystal clear depths amongst the luxuriant spiralling weed growth.

You know, as odd as it may seem to you, these silvery bubbles are my allies. Why? Because they cause the juicy insect dwellers of my pond to constantly move about in sheer terror. And when they swim within easy reach of my long quick darting tongue, hey! here comes lunch...

Mmm! That went down nicely. Talking about a time of plenty, the man whose garden I live in was speaking to me about something similar that happens in his human world. He explained that for humans, when they experience a time of plenty, they are constantly complaining, saying that it's never enough. I must admit that I couldn't see the sense in this, that is until he told me that his government, whatever that is? are currently being hounded by the people. Now, being hounded is something I understand very well. Need I say any more about those damned cats?

Anyway, he told me that even when the government works well for the people, making the rich get richer, the middle classes get richer, and the poor... Well, it's never good enough! Apparently, the human economy is kept buoyant through taxes. Hey! Don't ask me what taxes are. I'm just a simple frog. As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, it seems that those who work for a living, don't appear to like the idea of paying for an increase in personal taxes, despite that it is apparently for their own good. He tells me that since they don't like being taxed at the source, they have to be taxed by stealth. Now, stealth is another word I understand. Anyway, they don't like this either. Apparently you humans are once again restless and are considering getting rid of your government. Sounds to me like they are kicking themselves up their own backsides... Are they stupid, or what?

We frogs have a saying... Yes, yes, I know! We do have a lot of sayings, really! Anyway, before I forget, we believe that nobody should bite the hand that feeds it. In other words, DON'T GET GREEDY!!! Always look to what you have, just like me in fact, don't crave for what you don't have.

Like I said, I'm all for a quiet life, so, I'll be seeing you...

Froggy

A Home Truth

Hi everyone,

My word, doesn't time fly... Now isn't that an odd thing to say? As I sit here beside my pond contemplating the world around me, I fail to understand the real meaning behind this saying that is apparently used by humans everywhere? I mean, I've seen flies fly, ladybirds fly, cranes fly, why I even saw butter fly once! But I have never seen time fly. What does it look like? Once I know, I'll do everything I can to keep my peepers open for it.

It's been another busy week, one where us frogs are starting to store up our body fats, you know the sort of thing I mean, it's to tide us over those freezing winter months ahead. Anyway, once again I've been talking to the man who looks after the garden I live in. And you know what? It's amazing just what a frog can discover by listening to others. Makes a pleasant change from listening to all that croaking at night, I can tell you. As I was saying, this man, who is a mine of information, told me that most of the males in your species go absolutely mad for something you call, football(?).

He says that it's a tribal thing, something that supposedly makes the women of your species more attractive to the males. He's surely gotta be kidding? That's not what I've heard, and I damn well told him so. Do they all really think that all these intelligent women want to go and watch a load of full grown men, kick a bladder around for hours on end? Don't you fool yourself! Take my word for it, they hate football! Listen to me, I've heard that it's the only way they can get together with their friends, (wink), and have a rip roaring time of their own. Football, Hahahahaha.....

Oo man, my sides are aching!
Birds! No, not that. I'm talking about the feathered kind. Well, they are starting to muscle in on my territory again, and it's all because the season is changing. I can tolerate their singing at four in the morning during the summer months, but what I can't stand, it's the noise from all their petty squabbling at this time of the year. And why do they do it, you may ask? It's because the man's garden is full of ripening fruit... and they are all fighting each other over who get's the best of it. It happens each and every year. Nothing changes! Where are those bloody cats when you really need them?

I'm all for a quiet life, so, that's all for now, I'll be seeing you...

Froggy