Just Some Stuff

Two weeks ago, while walking around the loop at North Ponds Park, I found a baby painted turtle. He was crossing the paved trail that winds around the park. I almost didn't see him as his shell blended in with the dark colored pavement, but ever since I was a little girl I've had a habit of watching the ground as I walk, and I did a double take as I caught sight of the little guy. My eyes said it was a turtle, but my mind wasn't sure, so I bent over and picked him up. He was the size of a quarter. After showing him to two little girls on the path behind me, I set him in the dirt on the other side of the path and hoped that the Canada geese occupying the park didn't like baby turtles for snacks.

This morning, on our way out the back door of the daycare on our way to the playground, a little gray tree frog decided to go to school. He was lucky enough to avoid being trampled by the children and teacher who made it out the door ahead of me, but hopped right inside when I bent down to catch him. We called the little ones back to see him and then I stuck him on the wall outside the building. He was up high enough to be safe from little hands, and looked like a living sticker against the gray siding. When we returned an hour later, we found he'd decided to move on.

It was a good day. I wiped noses and dirty bottoms, looked at books and colored pictures, and held little hands. I pushed swings, put on little socks and shoes, kissed boo boos, and became a human jungle gym. I like this job.

(I didn't have my camera along on either of my creature occasions... nor for day I found a dead mouse on the sidewalk by Target... so you'll just have to use your imaginations and settle for these old pictures. Sorry the tree frog here is green instead of gray, but he's still cute, in a frog sort of way.)