My Garden Needs a Little More Life...

I am the proud adoptive parent of two tadpoles, Skipper and Gilligan. I thought they'd be a fun addition to the kitchen in the 10-gallon tank we already had. What I failed to realize was that their scummy pond water would really stink, especially when I treated them to some boiled lettuce (which they love).

Since adopting my little guys I have found out that as they are bullfrogs (and non-native to southern California) we will never be able to release them into the wild west of the Rockies. That means we will have big croaking bullfrogs for the next 10 or so years. Hmmmm.

When I was a girl we had a bullfrog that visited our home every summer. He hung out by our drippy hose out front. My dad named him Benjamin B. Bullfrog and we heralded the advent of summer with his arrival. Apparently he survived somewhere the rest of the year; we had him from June through August.

Therefore I'm thinking that Skipper and Gilligan might enjoy their own "pad" outside. Since we have the tiny patio out back, hubby and put our heads together and decided to incorporate the tank into our landscaping until the guys turn into frogs. At that time we'll build some sort of little pond for them full of stagnant leaves and dirt. Ick.

We've been tossing around the idea of a backyard pet for a few months. We used to have a rabbit, but he chewed up all my plants, tunneled under the fence and met the neighbor's dog. It wasn't pretty, but it was quick. I was hoping for some hens (homemade eggs!) but I don't think they're legal in my neighborhood. Bullfrogs it is. Fortunately my bedroom is on the other side of the house so I won't hear their chatter while trying to sleep...

Bud-wei-ser...