Tales from the Tulls: The Frog Who Wanted To Be A House Guest...

A few days ago, I opened the patio door from the bedroom and up jumped a frog to the door frame...

Of course now, I could not close the door... so I poked at him with a sandal that was laying there, but to no avail did he want to move away from the nice air-conditioned air that was escaping from the house to the outdoors!

He decided to hunker down and hang tight... I could just invision the electric meter whirling around, because it was at least 100 degrees outside, but I knew I could not close the door without squishing him.

I continued to prod at him with the shoe and that's when he decided to be a "house guest"!! Right into the bedroom he hopped... I didn't really take time to take a picture of him inside, but rather immediately flipped him back out onto the rug on the step just outside the door...

He just kinda sat there and looked at me

Notice those little droplets on the threshold... well, uh, yes, he decided to mark his way on the way out! Yuck! ...and then had the audacity to just sit and look at me as if trying to decide rather to take another leap back in... being quick, I closed the door and scrubbed up his mess.

I then made my way out the door for the task at hand... he was still sitting on the step. As soon as I shut the door he made his way in one hop right up to the door again.... thank goodness I got the door shut!

He was certainly determined!

I watched him for a short time and he made his way up towards the handle...

I was just waiting to see him open it!

I won the battle though...

and Mr. Frog remained outside!

A couple days later, I found him again...

I think he was trying to figure out how to pick the lock!

Here are a few more pictures of his cousins that hang around.

This little guy was waiting to be served at the patio table...

This one was clinging to the kitchen window

just waiting for a bug to come to the light!

If you look close you can see his beady eye...

My Staghorn Fern that hangs on the wall in the breezeway

seems to be a home for this guy

They are camera hams and don't seem to mind my pics

They change colors depending on their environment

Here's a Leopard Frog that I found in my gardens

My nephew, Jacob, was swimming one evening and couldn't resist interaction with this bullfrog sitting on the rocks. From the time he was little, he loved to catch critters!

He had the flashlight out and

being on the prowl spotted him.

He did catch and release though!

Another evening some friends were over swimming and their grandkids spotted this Mama Frog with her baby at the edge of the pool!

The baby frog is hiding back in a crevice...

Mama is telling junior to come out and swim!

I seem to have a variety of babies in my life right at this point -- my precious grandson, Tully, who is now 3 months old; I recently watched my wren family from eggs to babies, and now this baby frog. It will be fun when Tully is old enough to experience all these little critters with me.

UPDATE JULY 15, 2011...

Couldn't resist adding a few more photos of my beloved frogs!