The Frogs that Came out in the Rain

Public Domain photo via Pixabay

You may have heard that it's been raining a lot in the Tampa area.  Truly, our yard looks a lot like the lake down the road right now. Here's the view from our front door.
 

And here's the view from the back door.

When the rain really started coming down, we began to hear a frog song that we don't often hear, right outside our window. It turns out, the frogs live near the lake. Apparently, they now think our yard is a lovely lake, too.

I followed the sound of a loudly chirping frog with my camera. This is what I found. Seeing this little guy enjoy the rain made me not mind the weather quite so much.
 

Dancing Cranes

Here in Florida we have a lot of really large birds. The sand hill cranes, many of whom migrate here from Missouri, are some of my favorites.

A few weeks ago, I stoped to take a picture of a pair of sand hill cranes. Then, they began their mating dance. I was happy to catch some of it on video.

I am not usually the person who has the presence of mind to snap a picture or take a video when something interesting happens, so this was a really nice moment for me.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

Dancing Sand Hill Cranes, Lutz FL

Video of Dancing Sand Hill Cranes, Lutz FL

Be Kind to the Animals

Many of us in Florida are transplants from other geographic locations. Many of us never stop marveling at the wonderful flora and fauna here – so exotic and foreign to us, even after years of living here. Lizards and frogs play everywhere, and some of the birds are taller than me.

Recently I witness two incidences of cruelty to wildlife.  One was obvious – a tourist torturing a lizard. One was a much-less-obvious form of cruelty that might surprise you.

First, let me say that my understanding of Florida law is that cruelty to animals in any form isn’t tolerated. Sadly, in neither case was law enforcement involved.

While driving on the famous International Avenue in Orlando I heard a woman scream. I was in the passenger seat and the screaming woman was on my side of the street. I grabbed my phone ready to call 911 in defense of a woman I presumed was being attacked.

What I saw astounded me and infuriated me. Three tourists were torturing a small lizard – an anole. These lizards are very common here. They entertain us as they scamper and play. They eat insects. They are completely harmless to humans.

The tourists were probably in their late twenties or early thirties – two women and one man. The man was seriously buff. He could have beat up a human his own size easily. Why he had to beat up a tiny anole is completely beyond me.

The woman was screaming because the man had caught the lizard and was pushing it in her face. She was afraid of the lizard and he was teasing her with it. He dropped the lizard and both women ran away, cowering and screaming. He was able to catch the lizard again and threw it at the women.

It was like a sick enactment of the old Jim Stafford song “Spiders and Snakes”.

When our twelve-year-old boys act this way we reprimand them. When our children are afraid of harmless creatures we teach them to appreciate nature. Where the heck did these Neanderthals come from?

My second tale of animal cruelty is about sand hill cranes. Sand hill cranes are very common in Florida. They are very large birds, very intelligent and naturally friendly. They eat a lot of ants, which is a good thing in Florida.

This summer I noticed that the local sand hill cranes liked to walk through our neighborhood. They were really fun to watch, but I wondered why they wanted to be so close to humans. Quickly, I discovered that two of my neighbors were feeding them every day.

In Florida, feeding the wildlife is patently discouraged. Feeding the wildlife is a form of cruelty. When we feed the wildlife, three things can happen. First, we throw off the natural balance that exists between predator and prey. Second, we can be harmful to the animals’ health. Finally, the animals become tame and easy prey for predator animals.

As soon as I saw these poor sand hill cranes enjoying their bread crumbs and interacting with my neighbors I knew their chances of survival were limited. Wild animals who become comfortable interacting with humans are easy prey for alligators, bobcats and other predators. When we feed them we destroy the natural instincts that give them a fighting chance.

I haven’t seen the sand hill cranes in weeks. I think I know what happened to them.

Whether you are a visitor to Florida, a resident transplant or a native Floridian, please learn to treasure our unique and diverse wildlife. Watch them, enjoy them and preserve their habitat. Be kind to the animals. Don’t play with them, don’t torture them and don’t feed them.

Earthing

I have just recently heard about "Earthing." I don't know whether to be happy or sad.

"Earthing" is a new healing technique that involves…wait for it… lying directly on the ground or walking barefoot in order to connect to the healing energies of the Earth.

Apparently naturopathic science is discovering what Pagans and hippies have known for years. The Earth's energy heals us. Having that validation should make me happy, I suppose. Except that I don't need validation for an obvious truth.

What I feel is disgust that people can take a normal human behavior, brand it and market it. I feel the same disgust that we as a culture have grown so far away from our planet that this even needs to be a thing.

Of course New Age marketing geniuses have found a way to monetize Earthing. You can now buy an "Earthing Bed" that has a special cord through which energy supposedly transfers from the Earth to your bed.

Cue even more disgust here. Our planet is not chic yoga pants, shoe-magnets, a high-tech water purifier or a juicer. "Earthing" cannot become just another New Age fad.

I live in a naturist community. I am "barefoot all over" most of the time. I connect with the Earth every day. I go to the beach and lie naked in the sand. Beyond that, I'm a Pagan. It is my religion to connect with the Earth. I am glad, really glad, that people are waking up to the power of the Earth and the travesty of our modern-day disconnection from the Earth. I'm sad that someone had to tell them (or sell them) what they should have innately known.

In 2005, Richard Louv wrote a book, Last Child in the Woods, which hypothesized a modern malady "Nature Deficit Disorder."

Louv suggested that since modern parents are afraid to expose their kids to nature our nation is beginning to suffer a complex collective anxiety disorder.

I hate to think that my kids were the last generation to run through the woods, eat sun-warmed berries off a bush, sleep in a tent and skinny-dip in a lake.

In the 1960s there was a "back to the Earth" movement. As a child those concepts immediately appealed to me. In fact, that movement was probably responsible for forming me into the skyclad hippie witch that I am.

And now it turns out that those who took a different route are suffering, and their prescription is to connect their bodies to the Earth.

I am not looking forward to hearing all the New-Agey fad-followers talking about how they are going to go Earthing after yoga on Tuesday. But the fact is I hope they actually do. They need it, and so does the planet.

I'll do my own bit of marketing here. If you are looking for a great place to go Earthing, try your local naturist park or nude beach. And maybe don't call it Earthing. Maybe just call it going to the beach.