Hoping toads, frogs come back for sprinkle or two

June … it’s June.

Usually by now, the toads and frogs are back.  It’s oddly quiet out here at Head Acres.

I don’t know if it’s because it’s so dry or if there’s some other toad/frog thing I don’t know about.

Whatever it is, I miss them. They add a lot of personality to the garden. Last year, when I’d water in mornings and evenings I’d have a collection of groupies waiting for a sprinkle. We’d even find them buried in the potted plants, cooling off in the dirt.

This year, nothing.

But, what we lack in toads and frogs, we’ve made up for in spiders. Nothing gets the heart going like having a gargantuan spider tap dance across your foot. My newest garden go-to is big stick so I can push aside piles of leaves and things, just to avoid another spider encounter.

I don’t begrudge spiders their space, I’m just not crazy about having them in mine. Especially the ones who blend into the landscape (or tap dance). Since I know they’re lurking out there, I don’t dig before I move leaves and dirt around first. It slows down the planting a bit, but no garden creatures are harmed.

Even gargantuan spiders need a little space, right?

So do the gardeners.

We spend so much time working, or running from one thing to another, or being “on” that we forget to push pause. Most of us have two speeds, full throttle or “crashedinaheaponthefloor.” That’s neither healthy nor sustainable.

When we’re so busy frantically running from one thing to the next, we miss out on all the in-betweens: moments with family and friends, game nights, listening to the toads and frogs, watching the stars.

These memories and stories stitch together the very fabric of our lives. When our loved ones are no longer here with us, we can wrap ourselves up in the memories, the stories, the love.

I’m thankful for the reminder to slow down, courtesy of the giant (creepy) spiders. I’ll still have a stick nearby when I’m out watering the garden. And if we’re fortunate, maybe the toads and frogs will come back and sit around for a sprinkle or two.

Patti Dobson writes about faith for The Eastern New Mexico News. Contact her at:

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