They call me Eyeballs for a reason.
What an exciting day of photo-taking! The frogs were out and stayed out for a while as I moved around with the camera. Amazing. I will be posting from today’s shoot during this week. I loved this capture of Eyeballs in his typical pose of barely peeking above the water. What a cute kid!
It’s hard to sneak up on a frog.
Looking at this, it makes sense that I can’t come up from behind to get photos easily. Those eyes have near 360-degree coverage! This is Cave Frog, and right afterwards he jumped forward, swam under the lilies, and stayed out of sight.
I am an unabashed fan of lists. I like to count things, and I like to see visible progress of my activity by marking things off. Making lists helps me organize my thoughts, keeps me motivated, and helps me to make sure I carve out the time I need. Here are my top tips for lists:
1. keep items clean
This means that “edge lawn” and “mow lawn” are two different items on a list. They are separate tasks that can be done independently and require different tools. I like to keep the items on my list simple. If I’m going to be pruning a variety of plants, I list them separately – this also means if I don’t get to one of them the whole item isn’t left un-done.
2. don’t worry about the order
I make a list as items occur to me. I don’t order them in the order in which I plan to do them because plans change. I can do any item on the list in any order and mark it off.
3. consider groups or sub-lists
This may seem a little counter to #2, but stay with me. I have a front yard and a back yard. The back yard has a pond. The items related to the pond are distinct – so I sometimes make sub-lists of things that are in the house (“wash towels”) the back yard (“treat for algae”) and the front yard (“edge lawn”). By having them in groups, when I finish a sublist I get the joy of marking the whole sub-list done – and I stop thinking about tasks that involve that area. I don’t worry about ordering things in the sub-list.
4. include things you want to do, not just things you need to do
I put “take walk” on my list. I put “ride bike” on my list. Do these things accomplish cleaning my kitchen or making sure I have clothes to wear? No. But they sure make me happy and they are as much of a priority to me as mowing the lawn. By putting them on the list, they become equally weighted to all the other things I plan to do, and not expendable. If you want to put “relax with a book” on your list, you should do so!
5. feel free to make your own rules
Do you want to put “make list” on your list and mark it off when done? Do it! Do you want to add something to your list that you did but wasn’t on it just so you can mark it off? Do it! This is about tracking what you want to get done AND about keeping you motivated. I add things to the list during the day as they come to me and sometimes I add something I already did because it was a big deal to me and I want to celebrate it in my own personal way. Whatever keeps you motivated to get things done and feel good works for me.
Do you have a tip about making lists and keeping organized? Share it in the comments!
The names of our frogs evolved quickly and unlike the fish who sometimes get renamed these have stuck. Brave Frog was named first, because he was the one who was out the most and who didn’t care when I brought out the camera. He was also the first to move out so I suppose it was even more apt than we first thought. Cave Frog was named next, because of where we could (at that time) most reliably spot him – in a little area where a basalt boulder and the rock walls make a small cave on the side of the pond:
tucked into my little private space
I was able to move around and get a better view before he dove deeper into the cave to hide:
Cave Frog has nosy neighbors.
He still hangs out there sometimes, but he is even less likely to wait for a photo-opportunity before heading underwater now.
I was (am!) a handsome frog.
Another archival picture of Brave Frog, hanging out in the sun on an algae covered rock. Such interesting markings!
dignity.
My mother likes to do 3d graphic arts – usually of dragons in everyday situations. I posted this photo a while back and it’s one of her favorites. It called out to have the professorial looking Cave Frog have some spectacles added – and so I had to share him again. Enjoy!
hanging with my brothers
Yes, another historical photo. Brave Frog is, ironically, hiding under the rock to the left – Cave Frog is the one out in the open. It’s weird – as the remaining frogs (Cave Frog, Eyeballs, and Uptown Frog) get older – they also are getting more and more shy. Often the only evidence they continue to inhabit the pond is a “sploosh” as they dive under water when I open the door to try for a new photo. But I will continue with my archive and intersperse new photos as I can – after all, people tell me they enjoy this!
where the wild things are
I am fast developing a new favorite cute thing – a floating frog where you can see his webbed feet under the water. The only thing that could make this better is if you could see little fingers hanging onto the lily pad to hold him in place. He didn’t need to do that, however. The way he facing, the flow in the pond would keep him in that position. It’s when they are facing with their back to the skimmer that they have to hold on.
Plant pots are a handy perch.
Cave frog particularly likes jumping into the plant pots and using them as a hunting platform. At least, I assume that is what he is doing. Mostly I just see the frogs sitting or jumping away to swim out of sight. It’s always nice when things are so still that the photo of the reflection of the frog is nearly as crisp as the actual frog.
My neighbors are so nosy.
No doubt Uptown Frog is very tired of me peeking into his otherwise nicely private area behind a plant and upstream from the pond. He usually dashes under the water immediately. He probably wonders why I haven’t taken the hint that he doesn’t want to be my friend.
@KellyOSullivan 