Pond Dwellers

Visiting the local pond, we were greeted by this affable green frog.

He looks like he’s wearing a medal. Maybe that explains the sense of security he radiated.

We noted a whole crew of young wood ducks, grown by leaps and bounds since we last saw them. They whistled quietly to each other as they sailed by.

Naturally, we saw — and were observed by — some wary green herons. Such a combination of vivid beauty and drollery! Everything about them seems exaggerated somehow, from the shape and coloration of head and beak, to the expressive eyes, to the stubby tails, to the harsh cries. They always make me smile.

I absolutely love them.