The Toad Saga

This AM as I was walking around the back yard I noticed something strange on the ground and took a closer look.  Glad I did. This guy/gal does not have a whole lot of sense if you ask me.

Since he/she is in the whole you would use to pull the cover out with, I had to pry it out with my needle-nose pliers and screw driver.  

At this point I had to figure out how to get him out.  So when I went to put him in a safe place semi back in the hole, he did not think much of that idea.

After many attempts with many tools I ended up just drilling holes around him and using the dykes to cut the plastic out.  He sure was not happy with the drill idea, but he would close his eyes and get real thin.  Problem was, his jaw bone was bigger than the hole so I could not just push or pull him through.

Yahoo he is free.  I guess he figured since I had not killed him by now, about 1 hour of handling him and drilling, I was not going to kill him now so he hung around a bit.

 

I had to twist him so his jaw bone would fit and then I had to push him backwards through the hole.

All of the tools either used or attempted in the project.  

 

It took him a while to leave but then he went on his way. 

Put tape over the holes so this will not happen again.  

Found more shots of a different Rock/Wood Lizard from Sept 2nd

Just liked these shots.  He did not seem afraid of me at all.

Two Critters in back yard - Snake and Wood Lizzard

I was sitting on our rocker swing and started to think that if you sat quiet enough you would see some kind of critter come a long.  Well low and behold this was in our rocks that go along our pond and water fall.  This looks a lot like a Rat snake. 

Not sure what type of lizard this really is but I call it a Rock or Wood lizard.

Misc shots this AM - But Spider shots included

Once again I got some cool shots of Latha our adopted garden spider.  Anyway for my spider phobic friends they are towards the bottom of this post.

The Coleus is growing like a weed. 

Ricki taking a drink.  

After this shot comes the spider.  

Latha the spider got a cicada this AM.  I never would have thought her web was strong enough to catch a cicada.  I would have thought it would have flown right through.  This was no small one either.  I am guessing counting both wings, it had a wing span off about 2.5 - 3 inches.  Body length about 1.5 inches.

Grapefest in Grapevine 2013

Cool Steam Engine shots.  Scot a member of http://www.mylargescale.com did some digging on Google and found:

"Built for the Southern Pacific in 1896, by the Cooke Locomotive Works in Patterson NJ (before Cooke became part of Alco)
She is often said to be "the Oldest steam locomotive in regular service in the USA"
although the "William Mason" at the B&O museum is older, and operable, but doesn't steam on a regular basis..
so its a grey area..but still, 2248 is quite the survivor!

Scot"

Val with Santa's elves.  Merry Christmas Early once again. 

Big Bird?  Man to be dressed up like that in this heat.  The temps were only in the low 90's but the humidity was high.  This guy kept on going. 

One of the two cool watch towers in Grapevine.

Val hitting the mister, with a little girl that could charm a snake. 

A touch of history.

Big bird returns only with a friend.