Catching the last of the days warmth these frogs were not quite ready to jump into the water when I approached.  I was a bit surprised at how many frogs have moved into the garden pond since the Great Blue Heron made lunch out of the last residents.

I had no problem moving around the pond to take photographs until my ‘protector’ arrived to see what had caught my interest.

Looking eye to eye was OK but getting kissing close was out of the question.

The Frog photos are linked to a larger image (1024 x 768) suitable for a closer look or to use as Desktop Wallpaper. Pookey declined to pose for pin-up pics.

Eupatorium rugosum

Snakeroot is a native woodland wildflower in the same family as Boneset and Joe Pye Weed. They bloom in late summer – fall and have flat topped flower clusters. The clusters look fuzzy until you get a close up view.

I gave myself trouble when identifying this plant. Every field guide and on-line photo showed the fuzzy look and I had something that looked quite different in a macro. I could match the leaves, the fuzzy look but the macro photo just made me wonder.

This plant is poisonousand is known to cause ‘milk sickness’. When eaten by cows the toxins are passed to the cow’s milk. Consuming such milk causes weakness and nausea. Death may occur.

It has been reported fatal to horses.

Native Americans made a poultice from White Snakeroot used to treat snakebites.

As you can see – there’s nothing fuzzy looking about the flowers when you have a bee’s eye view.

Ardea herodias

A Great Blue Heron standing in a Bullhead Lily pond.

‘The place might be a bit scuzzy but it serves the best frog legs in town.’

‘Everybody in the place nearly croaked when the stranger walked in.”