Sunday 24 April 2011

Peepers

a little overcast now, cool, temps 4

Happy Easter, Happy Passover, Happy Spring.

Yesterday it pelted rain, but that meant all the snow is well and truly gone, until the next storm. But none in the forecast, for now.

One wonderful sign of spring that I often forget is the peepers. The early frogs in the ponds and marshlands. We have two ponds around our home, and quite a bit of wetlands. At dusk and dawn especially, you can hear them. In fact, driving along the country road you can tell when passing wetlands because there's a near deafening sounds of frogs.

We always worry when there's the inevitable cold snap or snow - and for a few days the peepers disappear - but then they come back. Like the earliest spring flowers. How in the world do the crocuses and bluebells survive a heavy layer of snow. But they do. The snow goes and the flowers are still in bloom. Ain't nature grand?

Doug left at 6 this morning. We stayed up, made breakfast and ate in front of the fireplace. While I got to work. Good day. Lots of re-organizing, and re-familiarizing myself with where I was at in the book. Getting back in to that world. I'm still worried this first draft is long...but they always are.

Especially when I set one in a different place, in this case, the monastery. I take a long time creating that world. Much longer than will ever appear in the final book. More for myself really. Then I can edit in the next draft.

I keep telling myself not to worry. And then I worry. More of a nag, really, than that sharp thrust of real concern.

Nice day. Very quiet. Great for concentrating.

Something else about peepers. We never see them. As we get close, they go quiet and disappear. I'm not sure I've ever seen one. Seen loads of frogs in the summer...but not these.

Take care of yourselves.

12 comments:

Linda said...

Happy Easter, Spring, Passover, and Re-birth to you and Michael also! I have heard the peepers once this Spring, then they went away and are now back. You never think of them, or miss them, til you hear them. As I get older I appreciate the Spring harbingers more and more. Just being able to be outside on our little balcony, ...smelling green, hearing peepers and birds, feeling the SUN! ...Paradise!

Unknown said...

Funny story about peepers and frogs in our neighbor's pond. When the movie Last of the Mohicans was being filmed at Chimney Rock Park south of Asheville, North Carolina, Daniel Day-Lewis stayed at a cabin on our street near this pond. The director stayed at the house just past our place. Story is that Day-Lewis complained that he couldn't sleep at night because of all the noise - the frogs and crickets! He must be a city boy!

Linda C. said...

We always wait with great anticipation for the sounds of the first peepers - the harbingers of Spring for us. Sometimes they are deafening, but it's such a wonderful sound, full of promise and the hope that they will eat all the blackflies before they hatch! One spring at my former residence I went out my front door one evening and the walkway and the whole front lawn was swarming with peepers! It was next to impossible to walk without stepping on the little guys, so I spent quite a long time trying to move them out of the way.

Anonymous said...

Hi Louise, it is good to read that all is well in spite of the crazy weather we are having this April. Only when I see the banner on top of your main blog page changed from wintery scene to ..., I will believe that the winter is gone for good. I am sure that you will let us know in due time. VT

shethra77 said...

Here we have more singing baby toads than frogs, but they are just as wonderful--just as much a sign of spring.

Miss Diane said...

Il semble que vous ayez passé une belle journée! J'ignore ce que sont les "peepers", je vais devoir sortir mon dictionnaire. Bonne semaine!

Miss Diane said...

Ah voilà, ce sont de très jeunes oiseaux..?

darlene said...

What a lovely thing, to have such peace at your doorstep. I have a fondness for frogs as they are part of my childhood memories of life in the country. Belated Happy Passover, Happy Easter, and welcome back Spring!

Linda said...

Miss Diane,
From Wikipedia:
Comme leur nom commun l'indique, la rainette crucifère est un appel aigu semblable à celle d'un jeune poulet, seulement beaucoup plus fort et en légère hausse dans le ton. Ils sont parmi les premières grenouilles dans les régions d'appeler au printemps.
I hope this is clear - I used Google "translate".
Linda in NH

Barbara said...

I go to sleep every night now with the peepers loudly proclaiming to the world that it's spring. There are many ponds and wetlands in our little area, all attracting our noisy friends. Before long, their big cousin bullfrog with the croak like a broken guitar string will be sounding off as well.

Michelle said...

I love the sound of the peepers in Spring. That means that maybe the leaves on the trees are next and things will be green again instead of dingy grey! Happy Easter!

Colombine said...

Un lilas japonais tout rond trône juste devant la fenêtre de ma chambre en ville. Des "peepers" l'ont adopté pour se réfugier, ils viennent toute l'année. Et,au printemps, ils me réveillent sur une jolie note le matin... adorable :)

Et la première année où on a acquis notre chalet dans les Laurentides, les ouaouarons (très grosses grenouilles
criaient "gutturalement"... je réussissais à faire le même son avec ma gorge au grand désespoir de mon fils qui n'en pouvait plus de les entendre. Ça dure environ 1 mois, le temps des "amours". C'est typiquement campagnard.

Vive la nature! J'ai appris avec ce chalet, le rythme des animaux, plantes, bibittes aussi :))