My 40th Birthday at The Frog Pond
Updated: Jul 6, 2020
For my 40TH Birthday this year, the replacement experience I was given (as opposed to the large party I was planning) was of a fancy new camera from my mother in law (among a few other thing), as well as a mini vacation at my Parents Farm (in their trailer, while they went to Calgary to visit my sister) at the Frog Pond. The frog pond is one of my favourite places ever, and always no matter the time of year one of the first places I go to when I visit, no matter the time of year. It was an amazing Covid vacation, for this family who has basically only been to work and home since March. I apologize for how long it took me to load and post the pictures. Time is a weird device in 2020.
It was a lovely break for my family, and I couldn't believe how happy we were to just sit in the country, in the quiet, watch the grass grow and the frogs sunbathe. As well as take loads of pictures, fly and crash a plane, have a four hour online game with friends while tethering to a cell, gather brush and branches, (dried spruce with needles is now called fireworks to us) have a fire, spin some yarn, play in the purple Palace, clean some brush, eat pizza, oil some spindles, read and nap.
My camera is a Canon M100, it is a lovely teacher, and has upped my picture taking game. It's not a photographer's camera by any means, but I am an amateur who is looking to learn, and happy to have an option that isn't my phone! It's not overly heavy, but has enough options to keep me busy for a while. I love all the settings, I mostly think I enjoy the Manual features and control. It's easy to use, and I love how quick it Bluetooths to my Tablet.
The frogs gave me the birthday present of being particularly photogenic. It took a while for them to cooperate by hanging out on the Lily pads, by the water lillies, but they got there! Though truthfully these frogs are descended from generations of photogenic and domesticated frogs. When my son was a child we would catch them in butterfly nets to take pictures of them, or just count and release. Eventually it got to the point that the frogs outsmarted us by jumping into our nets when we came by, knowing they were not going to get hurt, and taking the play and speed requirements out of our game.
They got this little solar fountain device which tickles me pink! I spent longer then I would like to admit moving this little doohickey around and into the sun! It was great when the frogs just wanted to sunbathe on it, essentially in the rain.
So this is my parents frog pond, my mom had wanted a pond forever, and when they moved their Pool and got a larger one, they took the old one which my cousin, Jesse, dug out a large portion of by hand, filled it with water, and continued to play with it. The rocks were gathered from the field by hand. My son booting around in his Peg Perego Jeep with a trailer, while we filled the trailer with rocks. Others were gathered from beaches, trails, anywhere we could find. I think I have been gathering rocks my entire life. My littlest sister has repeatedly "yelled" at me for the amount of rocks in her trunk. Also her son's pockets. But how else do you gather rocks for a pond or a rock garden??
The best part about the frog pond, is my Mom Hates Frogs. Or at least she used to, until they built the pond, the frogs moved in, some of which were having a hard time. She started to take pictures of the frogs, we started buying her frog type things for the pond. They still make her scream a bit when they jump, but she makes sure to take care of her frogs. And the Dragonflies which are too quick for me to get pictures of yet.
In any case, and I think every case, I believe our favourite places are probably that because of the amount of work involved in them, as well as the time and memories made there. To me, the frog pond is hand gathered rocks and stones over many years. Shaded by trees we planted as children, the vegetation has been gifted and bought and curated for this tiny little pond. It has been dug out, drained, refilled, restocked, fish in and out, buckets of frogs relocated to the larger pond when they threatened to overwhelm this tiny space. Herons are shooed away, the tree where the large gardener snake lives is approached with caution, because that's its home, and it eats mice. The potting bench is gathered there and a chimea because it is pretty, but possibly never used. It's the history and time invested that makes a place real, I love the Farm, but the Frog Pond is my favourite place.
Where are your favourite places? What's the story behind them?