Solitube (or Frogs in the Windchimes)

A couple of weeks ago I made a deal with the next door neighbor's mowing service: I would take care of the strip between our houses, which does not allow for a commercial sized mower to transgress without damage to the sod and drainage slope, and he would edge my sidewalk and driveway. I noticed that because it is winter (during which time I rarely mow, but lawn services pretend to mow in order to justify their monthly fees), I was getting the better part of the deal.

So, today I spent the day working in the yard: weeding the space between our houses (there isn't enough grass growth to justify mowing, but I wanted it to look like I was keeping up my end of the bargain the next time he shows up to "scalp" my neighbor's lawn), trimming back and pulling up some dead perennials, and relocating some of the pups from the aloes.

When a gentle breeze (it's supposed to get less than gentle in the next 24 hours) moved the wind chimes hanging in the arbor, I noticed that a couple of the chimes sounded a little flat. . . when I investigated, this is what I found:

Cuban tree frog making itself "at home" in windchime tube

Apparently, my wind chimes make a perfect home for young Cuban tree frogs . . . which got me to thinking about how easy it is to find "solitude" right in our own back yards . . . (also, that I have to do a better job of patroling against this invasive species, which I thought I'd gotten rid of last year . . .)

So, as the crowds of birders swarm into Brevard County this week, I think I'll be staying close to home and enjoying my own back yard . . . see you next week with a look at what I find hanging out back there . . .

Postmarked: West Melbourne, FL