The moon is full and a slight breeze rustles the turning leaves. There's a brisk chill to the Autumn air, and one's thoughts turn to... frogs.
Yup. Frogs. Or maybe they're toads. Who the fuck can tell the difference.
And I was just thinking "My goodness it's be awhile since we've had any pestilence or plagues" and now we have it... frogs.
The dogs found them first. Of course they would. I'd let them into the backyard last Thursday evening and a short while later heard some sort of commotion. When I went to investigate I saw my older dog rummaging around behind one of the patio chairs and he emerged with what I thought was a chew toy. He ran around in circles in the yard, thrashing his head back and forth before finally tossing it into the air. It landed with a dull thud and I went to check it out and that's when I saw it wasn't a toy.
Glistening in the moonlight was a hockey puck sized frog.
I looked at my dog, who was now drooling and frothing at the mouth like Cujo. I'm guessing the frogs defense mechanism is a nasty tasting slime which causes predators to give up while the giving is good. Unfortunately, dogs apparently have no short term memory, and before I knew it he was coming back for a second pass.
The frog was alive and intact, but more than likely a little stunned. I grabbed a nearby rake and covered the frog to protect it, and when my dog retreated I flipped the rake over and scooped up the frog and flung it over the fence into the yard of the now empty house next door.
But now the dogs are obsessed. The frogs drive them absolutely berserk. Leads me to believe there's something to that whole "getting high by licking frogs" urban legend. If they're let into the yard after dark, they immediately go on the hunt like pigs after truffles. They don't eat the frogs, at least I don't think they do. They're just after the high and the challenge. I've rescued about half a dozen frogs with my rake technique and I've really gotten quite adept at it. It's like "Frog Jai Alai".
Where do the frogs come from? Beats the hell out of me. I was under the impression they inhabited wetter environments and Bakersfield is a desert. The only bodies of water for 50 miles are the irrigation canals and I would think they had filters on them to keep the frogs from mucking up the works. And even if that is the source, the nearest one to the house is a mile away and across several busy streets. It just goes to show you you should never doubt the persistence of the pests of Bako.
The frogs magically appear only at night; where they go during the day is a mystery. Trust me, the dogs look for them. It's gotten so bad we now don't let the dogs out back after dark.
I tell myself "This too shall pass." I say that a lot here. They really should make that the city motto.
