Summer Butterflies

Tell all your friends to buy our book! http://thegreatleapingrace.blogspot.com/ This so so much cheaper than amazon.com.

BoRock - I love the summer! There are insects everywhere! The other day, Ebenezer and I were exploring a new area, and we found an old, forgotton cherry tree. Now most of you know that frogs don't eat cherries so that was no big deal, but what we did find were lots of butterflies attracted to the sweet, sticky, fermenting cherries.

Ebenezer - It was a slaughter! The butterflies didn't seem to notice us coming they were so intent on their feast. But then I started to get a funny feeling. I said to BoRock, "I think there is something really wrong with these butterflies!"

BoRock - About that point, I leaped too high, missed a butterfly and landed on my side. Ouch! That has never happened before! That is when it occured to me that whatever was making the butterflies stupid was also, the more we ate the butterflies, making us stupid as well. I told Ebenezer, "You are right!" These butterflies are sloshed and we are getting second hand sloshed by eating them. Let's get out of here before something bigger than us finds us easy game.

Ebenezer - In the future, I am going to stay away from fruit feasting flutters. I think there is a lesson here for people as well. Something about the survival of the fittest and smarter animals making choices that help them survive longer.

Frog Lovers

BoRock-Ok, so this lady came in and wanted 15 copies of our book all signed by the author. Great! Then, she explained that they were going to be presents for all of her extended family members who enjoy frog hunting on their farm. I wasn't worried yet. Lots of people like to catch frogs to keep as pets.

Ebenezer - Then our author/friend asked her if they also catch bugs to feed their frogs. She paused for a minute and looked confused. Then she said, "No we eat the frogs." Agh! We didn't know until that minute that people ate frogs. It suddenly made me rething everything I know about people.

BoRock-You see normally, if something is larger than we are we we assume they want to eat us. That's just because we eat anything smaller than us. But in the past couple of years we have met so many really nice people who would never eat us, that we got the mistaken impression that frogs were off the menu. Now we know differently.

Ebenezer - I can't believe our author sold her the books and autographed them for her. I would have thrown her out the door! Kind of makes me worry about our author. Does she really stand for what she tells us she stands for or is she just out to make money?

Author's Note - Dear BoRock and Ebenezer, I love butterflies too, but I don't hold it against you for eating them. You really need to learn to be more tolerant and forgiving since your diet is not altogether without fault.

What do frogs think about?

Ebenezer - a fellow (human) asked me the other day what I think about when I am sitting still. Well that depends on what I am doing when I am sitting still. If I am sitting still hunting I am thinking about how hungry I am and remembering what the particular insect I am hunting tastes like. I am also wondering if there are any big animals behind me that will notice me if I move in for the kill. If I am sitting still hiding then I am remembering the times when I saw other creatures disappear down the gullet of a preditor. This helps remind me to hold very still at these times.

BoRock - You know frogs have a problem that other prey don't have. Because we are preditors we have eyes in the front of our heads. Think about it; lions, wolves, people--preditors have eyes in front. But prey animals like rabbits, deer, antelope, etc have eyes on the side so they can see almost all the way around them. But frogs are both preditor and prey. Our eyes are on top which helps some, but we never really know for sure what is lurking behind us. So hunting is pretty scary business. We are usually a little bit afraid.

Ebenezer - I often think about jumping. I sit very quiet judging distance and altitude. You know making mental calculations in my head just for practice. Sometimes I think about swimming...getting my strokes right could mean the difference between life or death for me. What I really like to think about is diving. I have this image in my mind of how I must look, but since I can't see myself dive and I've never seen a video I don't know for sure. BoRock told me that I have my knees bent and my legs apart, but I'm not sure I should believe him.

BoRock - What! You don't trust me! I thought we were friends!

Ebenezer - Of course, but sometimes friends say what they think the other wants to hear, rather than the truth.

BoRock - Trust me on this! Your dive is perfect! Knees perfectly bent and legs apart!

What was she thinking?

BoRock - I was at a signing party for my new book and this lady starts screaming, "There's a frog in here! There's a frog in here!" What was she thinking? I mean really, why shouldn't the main character of a book attend a book signing if he wants to? Actually I was just there for the food...they had some lovely cockroaches in the pantry.

Ebenezer - You know, when you go to a party you aren't supposed to just eat. The main thing about parties is talking to people, getting to know them and helping them to like you.

BoRock - I think I like salamanders better than I like people. I mean, here I was doing a public service of cleaning up the cockroaches and she has a fit. Can you imagine a salamander doing that?

Ebenezer - That is just ridiculous! Salamanders are much to level headed to go off in public. So what did you do?

BoRock - I hopped up on her shoulder and peed.

It's Spring!

BoRock - Ebenezer and I have been spending the winter asleep at the bottom of our pond as we always do, and as almost all frogs do. That is why you haven't heard from us in a while. Anyhow, when we came to the surface our author told us that our book has been published! Yes! It is gorgeous! The pictures are bright and colorful and we are looking our best! I am so excited.

Ebenezer - So I'm sure you will want to get your copy right away. No problem! Just go to the following blog and order. Buy several since this is the special introductory rate and you never know when you will need a book about frogs to give somebody!

http://thegreatleapingrace.blogspot.com/

BoRock - Don't forget to tell all of your friend about us. If they want to send a special delivery package of fresh, hopping grasshoppers as well, that would be ok, but mostly we like to catch our own.

Ebenezer - Now, get out there and enjoy the spring. That is what we are going to do!

BoRock - Oh by the way, thanks for the tip on meeting female frogs. We're off.

God - One Frog's View

Ebenezer - Someone once asked me if I have a different perspective on God than humans do. This is a hard question because I don't know how humans see God. For me, I see God in every thing I around me in the natural world. I mean, did you every look really closely at a dragon fly? Wow! What a beautiful piece of machinery! And on top of that they are delicious! Now I don't know if God speaks to people, but he speaks to me. I get these vivid dreams about things that I never would have thought about in a million years, and I just know that God is trying to tell me something. Then I do what I think he is telling me to do. But then other times he whispers words into my mind. Like the first time I met BoRock. The words that BoRock was saying and his attitude were telling me that this frog was a jerk, but the voice of God in my head told me that this frog was my very best friend. So I ignored what he was saying and treated him like my best friend from the start. It is really cool to be able to look back and remember following God's instructions and seeing the result of that obedience today. Wow. It has made such a big difference in my life having him as a friend.

My Name - BoRock

BoRock - I must get asked 20 times a day if I am any relation to Barack Obama. Give me a break. We are so totally different. First of all I am green with very dark green spots. Obama is one of the multitude of boring people colors. I do not wear clothes, I have no interest in politics except how it relates to the environment, and I eat bugs. OK, so Obama is interested in the environment too, but I was not named after him. I was told that my name is a combination of Bo Jangle and Rock and Roll and is pronounced as you would expect coming from those two derivatives.

Female Frogs

BoRock - I know it is still winter, but this is a subject that I believe this is a topic that can't be prepared for too early. I am looking for a female leopard frog. She must be beautiful, of course, a good conversationalist, have an interesting sense of humor, and love adventure and travel. Please let me know if you find any female frogs that fit this description. Tell her that I am single, handsome, charming, a great singer, a long and fast leaper, and that I will soon be co-staring in a new children's book. Perhaps we could e-mail for a couple of months and get together in the spring!



Ebenezer - Good topic choice, BoRock. I was thinking along those same lines only I didn't want to mention it. But since you brought it up, this is what I am looking for: A female leopard frog who is kind and compassionate, but not afraid to stand up and fight against injustice. She must be patient and loving, but tough and sturdy and strong as well. She must be smart, quick and clever. Oh, and if she was beautiful as well, I wouldn't mind.

Garden Planning

BoRock - It is garden planning time at our house and I must say that it is nice to live in a place where the gardener can hear us tell her what we like. Most people wouldn't think that frogs are partial to vegetables, and I must admit that I wouldn't eat a vegetable to save my life, but what I do like are vegetable eating insects! Plant lots of vegetables but don't spray them with nasty poisons. Make sure you put in a big butterfly garden with a pond.

Ebenezer - A pond is a must! Without a pond there won't be any dragonflies. Of course, dragonflies won't come unless there are mosquitoes. Also, don't put fish in the pond. Fish have a nasty habit of eating tadpoles.

Pen name

BoRock -I thought you might enjoy reading our conversation about our author's pseudonym.
Ebenezer - It would be great if you could help. All suggestions are welcome.
Unnamed Author - Of course, it is going to be my name, so I get the final word.
BoRock and Ebenezer - nod yes
Unnamed Author - For a while I decided on the name Tulgy Woods, but looking online I find that it is already taken.
BoRock - How about Frog Spy? I mean it is like you have put cameras and wiretaps all over our environment.
Ebenezer - BoRock, that was rude. She is trying to help us tell our story. Since we told the story to her she is not a spy, she is a poet. How about Frog Poet?
BoRock - What does Tulgy mean anyhow?
Unnamed Author - Lewis Carrol liked to combine words to make new ones. So it is probably a combination of a word that begins with tul and boggy. I never could figure out the tul word.
BoRock - OK, so we combine Frog Spy...Frospy! How about that? Or Spies on Frogs...Sponfr...no...Frogspon
Unnamed author - I am not frogspon!
BoRock - In a way you are since we are your creators. You wouldn't have a story without us. Admit it...you lack the creativity to write anything that we haven't told you.
Ebenezer - Just ignore him. He is being insulting because you didn't like his idea. BoRock, say you're sorry.
BoRock - OK...sorrrry!
Unnamed author - It's OK. I guess it wouldn't hurt except I'm afraid it might be true.
Ebenezer - Don't be absurd. You tell our story in a most creative way. I love how you make everything rhyme. We could call you Rhymie!
Unnamed author - I kind of like that! That way I could write poetry about other things besides frogs when I am finished with your story. But it does limit me to rhyming poetry. What if I wanted to write prose someday?
BoRock - So what would you write about if you live long enough to finish our story and still have some years left.
Unnamed author - I don't know...chipmunks, ladybugs, thyme, squash, asparagus, God, politics, education. I like to think I could be versatile.
Ebenezer - So you see yourself as a versatile verse writer.
Unnamed author - Please don't limit me to verse!
BoRock - How about Justa Reed N. A. Bog
Unnamed author - Haven't you been listening to anything we have been talking about? I might want to write about something outside your environment someday.
BoRock - That is really hard for me to imagine
Unnamed author - Try to move beyond your environment.
Ebenezer - No way! We visited the city once, and we visited the beach. Both were awful.
Unnamed author - OK, I guess I will have to do this on my own.
Ebenezer - No way, we're in this together. Give us some time to think. We'll talk about it tomorrow.
BoRock - What happened to the picture?
Unnamed author - Sorry, I need to do it at work where I have highspeed internet. Just wait for a few days.