Sweet Little Nugget

Just want to share this photo of a beautiful little spring peeper (pseudacris crucifer) was came across while picking our garden raspberries the other day. My husband spotted him, and knew I would be interested in taking a look.

We brought in a big bowlful of fresh raspberries, but not before I took some photos. I’m always in awe of the abundance of life that crowds its way into gardens. Gardens offer shelter, food, breeding space, and water for these little miracles. This particular peeper was changing colors even as I was photographing him.

I love the spring peeper chorus on summer nights. When I lived near the ocean, the peepers would come out by the thousands in early summer, covering the house and the street nearby. Lots of peepers were run over by cars at that time of year.

Every night, I went out with a broom and carefully coaxed as many peepers as possible into the tall grass and the nearby pond. A friend visited one night and said he was horrified by the living wallpaper of peepers on my pondside house. But I loved it. A house covered in these pretty jewels, all singing their love song? I’ll take that every day of the week.

This is another blessing that gardens offer. As we humans level natural habitat to co-opt more and more room for our selfish selves and our silly expressions of materialism, gardens provide hallowed space for some of the wildlife we’ve so ruthlessly displaced. Every spring and summer, our gardens are safe territory for an amazing diversity of beautiful animals and insects. I just love that.

Today is September 27. It’s 90 degrees outside, and sunny. If this keeps up, we may never even notice winter when it arrives, which would be totally fine with me.

Much love,

Barbie xo