New Generation Tadpole's Day Twenty-Six - First To Leave?

Why would anyone want to leave three square meals, over crowded and with
fresh rainwater replenished every couple of days. Taking along extra baggage
in the form of a tail is beyond me.

Tadpole's Day Fifty-Seven - Last One, Last Seen

This indoor shot is the last time it was seen by my eyes. I brought it indoors
for some light therapy and placed a barrier over the top to keep it from
jumping out of it's confines. After placing it outdoors a couple of hours later
and removing the plastic film at top. The next morning after is when I found
it empty, but not before I got some more great shots.

The discoloration on it's right side could only be a temporary or perhaps a
birthmark to make it easy to identify should that be a possibility in it's future.

First Bloom Dwarf Mexican Petunia - Ruellia brittoniana ‘Katie’

This specimen was hitching a ride in a potted plant
purchased two years ago. I had just released it from
it's original confines about a month ago, only to have
nearly missed it's first display.
Another day and it would have gone the way of most
spent blooms.

Tired and spent but still beguiling.

A couple of make-overs, courtesy of GoArt.

Rejuvenated by Snapseed.

New Generation Tadpole's Day Twenty-Four - First Signs Of Legs

Actually it was two days ago is when I first spotted one
tadpole with a pair of legs. There always seems to be a first.
Where as today is when I made my first attempt to capture
this phenomenon on camera phone.

The more pictures taken, the better results after my initial
attempt to capture the first transformers.

Bingo, caught two in the same snap.

Plant 'Em If You Got 'Em

Transplanted these seedlings to my container garden that were started at the 

beginning of the month of July.

Adding a natural sunscreen of Spanish moss helps with their immortality.
A drenching with some fresh tadpole spoiled water to get these young
hopefuls off  to a great start.

This volunteer Turkish tomato seedling stands tall next to it's cousin, the
cutting planted two weeks ago that is being subjected to something that
has quite an appetite for fresh green leaves.

Time will tell which one survives to bear fruit. Only to have it's fruit
eaten by this two legged beast.

Two to three days later. Volunteer seedlings is not touched except
today it was discovered that something was boroughing around it
and just had to resettle the soil. The remaining four transplants, not
so lucky. Three of the four totaling gone with nearly a trace. The last
one manage to escape from what ever hungry jaws were responsible.
So I covered the last set with a glass jar and covered that with some
Spanish moss. Hopefully it won't bake under our Florida sun.

Tadpole's Day Fifty-One - Last One's Portrait

Watching it's new neighbors gallivant about as it
starts to develop it's own hind legs.

Yesterday morning while taking out the garbage and
out of the corner of my eye I noticed something had
jumped from the top of this tadpole's confinement.
It was no doubt the next to last of this generation
tadpole. It had all the equipment and tail to, to make
it's jump to the next world.

This jump was more like the equivalent to a clift
diver's. Perhaps if it knew it had an audience it would
have threw in a couple of somersaults. Hopefully it
didn't make too much of an announcement to any
awaiting garden creatures that would been chanting,
jump....jump....jump and saying to them selves, I heard
they taste like chicken.

Tadpole's Day Forty-Eight - Last Pair's Portraits

There will always be first and lasts. These two are the last pair of their
generation. The one shown in the front is the least developed of the two.

No signs of any appendages.

This one has it's hind legs and the front ones are on their way.

They been a bit sluggish these past two days. So I gave them another change
of water and brought them indoors for a closer look and better lighting.
Hopefully the full spectrum lighting will boost their energy levels.

 Perhaps just the laws of arrested development are at play.

A Watched Plant Never Grows

This unknown specimen that caught my eye that has since been transplanted
to a pot has finally shown some new growth after nearly a month. No doubt
our heavy rains and cloudy days had a role. In this nursery pot also contains
a fern from the same location that is getting on quite well. What a pleasant
surprise all around.

Tadpole's Day Forty-Five - It's Time To Leave In Threes

This snap demonstrates when they sit and chill and start to absorb their tails.
It's like they are leaving their vegan ways behind to transition to their bug
eating days. The two are on their chill and the third wants to join to see
what all the fuss is about.

The slow down in eating and mass migration has put a kink in my mini
aquaculture. When ever I change out their water I use the waste water to
feed my cuttings and seedlings. Oh well, there is more where that comes
from as my new generation tadpoles thrive.

Big Toad - I Suspect Bufo marinus

Aka Giant toad and this one still has some growing to do before
earning that title, also known to be toxic to small pets.

This one is small in comparison to others I've seen. This one is
the first I've seen in daylight, as seen between some iron gratings.

It's hard to tell from this angle but it is at least five inches in length.
Also the puffy lumps set back from the eyes and lie on the upper
back distinguish to be one of fifty species of toad that has this
toxic storing gland that will ooze when it is threatened.

If you look closely at the areas outlined in orange you can see the
small black spots, which are it's pores that this white toxic fluid
is excreted.

I saw one of these in the early morning hours when it was still dark
and it was four to five times larger. The size through me off initially
but the way if moved was what gave it way as being a toad.

New Unknown Variety Of Tomato Seedling

I suspect that this variety is the new mini San Manzanos, cherry like tomato.
Suspect is because this tomato either came from a friends house luncheon or
from a Thai Bar B Que salad bar, here in town. Had this tomato sitting around
nearly a month before finally planting the seeds.

I'm having to augment the lighting with some indoor lighting due to our
excessive cloudy and rainy days. These seedlings look like that they are
stumbling over them selves to reach some decent light in their crowded
situation. 

Nothing more says about gardening than starting something from seed.

Tadpole's Day Forty-Two - It's Time To Leave - Day Or Night

This first generation frogpole is on the ledge of either just pondering it's
existence or planning it's get away.

I would like to think that it is concern with the well being of those Thai
children and coach trapped in that cave and awaiting rescue. It's tapping
into it's connective world wide connection to all the frogs on this planet
to help these two legged creatures that insist in destroying it's own
environment.

Or, as I discovered this morning that assuming it was the same one I spied
last night. It was swimming around along with the new generation of tadpoles
and just looking for a change of scenery.

Unawares that there is a house gecko or a huge Cuban tree frog hanging out
just above underneath the carport looking for snacks, if you get my drift.

New Generation Tadpole's Day Twelve - New Digs

New container but the same old decaying matter they started off with on this
journey. I also introduced some new greens, some arugula. They didn't
take to it as quickly as they do the spinach, but when you see them
swimming around with a sliver of greens in their jaws like it was a
bone, you know they will munch away. Spinach seems to be their alimate
favorite greens.

While changing out their water today I noticed an interloper from the
their neighboring pool amongst the new generation.I guess it just
wanted to relive it's childhood.

Tadpole's Day Thirty-Eight - It's Time To Leave

Aren't they a pair.

Tadpole's Day Thirty-Five - There's A Big World Out There

This four legged guy with a big anchor now has the ability to elevate it's self
above all. Now it gets a better view of what's possible. Unfortunately their
eyesight is not the best, but perhaps for the best.

Don't be a tadpole.

Big Blue's - Day 83 - Tipping Point

I did try to advert this oncoming disaster by calling my
tree guy Friday when I saw it leaning in closer to the power
lines as the days went by. All time the flowers were developing
and adding more weight to this leaning tower of wonder. The
law of gravity, yesterday's rain along with physics took hold,
which was the tipping point. Not having my crystal ball plugged in,
didn't help either.

This morning I called my tree guy only to find out then that
he can't touch it and to call the utilities and have them come
out and take it down. After calling the utilities this morning
and initiating a work order, thinking all is done and prompt
service to remedy the situation.

Hours later, and still nothing, not until hours later I hear my
next store neighbor calling my name and to tell me that my
plant is leaning over the power line and hearing it getting
fried. I get back on the phone to the utilities trying to get
them out here only to find that someone on the block called
911 and our glorious fire department was on the spot.
By that time the said top of this Agave had been severed
off and cauterized.

The fire department had notified the utilities and they were
on the way as I relayed the same to the utilities on the phone
that dire department called the utilities to do what you guys
failed to do.

Minutes later the utilities were there doing the honors of
trimming this giant down to size.

Lesson learned, can't have your trees and Agave too.

Tadpole's Day One - New Generation

After four days of standing water and almost to the day a month ago we have
some more lucky tads. These vary quite a lot in size compared to my last
batch to. I still have to attempt to separate these tads from the mosquito larve
before long and find another means of containment.

I've already introduced these newbies to some fresh spinach. These guys also
seemed to have taken to some thinly sliced apples. Where as the old troopers
took a while to even nibble the apple slices and eventually just abandon. I will
search tomorrow so see if there are any remnants of apple left behind.

Tadpole's Day Thirty-Three - At Least Two Frogs With Tales Jump To Freedom

What do you call a tadpole with all it's legs? A tadpole in transition?

As I was getting ready to feed some slices of fresh spinach to these
hungry minions. I saw one Frogpole swimming outside it's confines
into another. A lid that holds about and inch of rain water that this
tapolarium sits in. I was able to rescue this Frogpole and put it
back , whether it wanted or not, from whence it came from. I then
noticed another Frogpole clinging to the side of one of my water
barrels. There was no way I could try to re-patriot this explorer.

In my past attempts to raise theses little guys. I would observe
these Frogpoles hang around the edges of their spacious tadolarium
and within days they will have absorbed their tails. Then again they
still might hang around for another couple of days before disappearing.
No allusions, to whether they actually found freedom or was someone's
else's lunch, breakfast or first meal. 

After a refresh of rainwater I decided to add a tad more water to what you see
above to give these Frogpoles a safer place to hangout  before fleeing.

At least that's my intentions.