Spent some time walking around the pond this morning. Things are looking good – especially after cleaning out the old leaves, spent flowers and some stray algae on Sunday. The wildlife is going crazy with the warmer nights we’ve been having. Lots of matin’ , reproducin’ and raising young. Very busy indeed. Here is the inevitable picture of the pond again – I am sorry I just can’t help myself. Things have been changing so much lately, what with the warmer temps.
Each day the water lilies are popping up pretty new flowers. A sea of pastels!
And my lotus has finally sent out it’s very first flower!
Wow!
Frog populations are exploding: I have at least 4 or 5 cricket frogs, one pictured below clicking away. I love teasing these guys: You can trick them into calling to you by clicking two rocks together. This makes the exact same clicking sound and it drives the frogs crazy with passion or competition – since it might just be a rival male frog! Soon they puff up and start calling back! Makes me smile every time.
Tiny little fellas with amazingly loud sounds. Here’s a closeup:
The dozens of Rio Grande Leopard frogs are very content to lazily float around, much like us humans enjoy doing on a lake in the hot Texas sun on a balmy Sunday afternoon.
Or hang out with our buds on the nearest rock. I have no idea where these guys stashed the brewskies.
The Cannas are making their first display of the season. I spent Sunday fertilizing all the plants. I hope that the spectacular show continues.
This one in the bog is just stunning – never had an orange one before.
The other plants in the pond are coming along nicely. The Water poppy is sending out some lovely lime colored blooms. 
Yup it’s getting warm and the activity is speeding up. Summer is on it’s way! Even the domesticated critters are already enjoying the shade:
A brilliant array of colors so obviously peppered with loads ‘n loads of hard, back-breaking, sweat-popping labor. Now you sit and reflect as you collect the rewards. Simply magnificent. The photographs are magnetic — such eye-candy!
I don’t think I ever see the Eastern leopard frog in my area … seems everywhere I go I encounter the Rio Grande leopard frogs and, of course, the ever-present darling li’l Blanchard’s cricket frogs! Love that calling posture!!
A thousand apologies! That is not an eastern leopard. I don’t even know where I pulled that name from. It is the Rio Grande. Thanks for pointing that out.