Front Porch Conversations: February Frogs

While growing up in Vermont, there were two things I looked forward to in the spring time -- the return of the Robins and the Spring Peepers. To me nothing said winter is finally over like the chorus of those night time frogs.

It's been a life time since I've gone through a Vermont winter, but here in the south I've come to recognize the signals of spring. One is the migration of the thousands of Sandhill cranes that fly directly over our house, another is the Spring Peeper. The nightly chorus is enjoyed on my front porch in the early spring free from the pollution of the summertime cicadas that dominate the southern night.

But despite the fact that I've lived in the south for just about as long as I lived in Vermont, I'll never get used to the spring peepers making their debut in February. In Vermont they usually debut in late April or early May. However, they are a welcome sound as they lift up their joyful noise and signal the end to winter. The pond across the street from my house is full of them this year, but I'll never forget when we first moved into our house -- they were a lot closer then. 

The previous owners had a swimming pool that was unused and stagnant. It was my goal to tear it down once we were fully moved. But I ended up leaving it over the summer. Several dozen frogs had made the pool home and I came to the realization that the sound of frogs is best enjoyed at a distance. 

None-the-less, to all my yankee friends who may stumble across this blog...I leave you with the following video of spring peepers in February. May you enjoy them in a few months too.