Toad Whispering

Living in the woods, we have a lot of toads around our house. They are all over and I have a blast watching them. It is almost mesmerizing! But each time I sit and watch them, I learn a little bit more about them.

Last night, I took my camera out with me while they were feasting on our latest dish soap ant outbreak. I say dishsoap ants because when you disturb the ants, they smell like dish soap. Very strange and their color is nothing I have seen before moving to North Carolina.

I learned that I had built a toad haven by accident. I have been working for the last year on building a native garden and it includes a lot of moss and native plants. I found this guy hiding under a patch of what I call carpet moss. The moss is so soft it feels like you are walking on carpet! But now I don't know if I can ever step on a patch of moss again without worrying I could be stepping on a toad in hiding.

And for the strange thing I learned. I keep seeing these weird things out front. I thought maybe a seed pod or something? I had no clue until I saw this one doing its 'duties' and realized I have been seeing toad turds. Not that I enjoy seeing animals do their 'duty' but I was amazed at how large of a 'duty' a small critter can have.

Come check out my entire collection of Toad Whispering photographs!

Some days I amaze myself

I am sitting here listing several photographs that myself or my darling husband have taken over the last 2 years of hiking through the woods. We live in the Southern Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina. We always take our Nikon D80 with us, no matter were we are headed. Why? We never know what we might find to take a picture of.

Well, we have been hording these beautiful photographs on our computer. But why? I got the wild hair the other day that I would list them and try to sell the prints. Hmmm... just a few days later and I have already sold a print! And there are so many more we have been hording that I will be listing to share with the world.

So what is my point? The point is that these are really beautiful photographs. Photographs that can not be duplicated ever again. Nature never gives us the same shot twice. These are once in a lifetime views that we have found! Yet I never thought to share them with anyone but myself.

I have been making crafts, which I like to do, as a hobby. Yet those have mostly horrible (in my book), photos. I can not stage a photo to save my life. Yet we both have a knack for finding those perfectly staged, naturally staged photographs.

Take my advice, if something is not working for you, you find yourself fighting to make a go of it, keep it as a hobby and move onto something that comes more natural for you. Use the resources around you. Don't go looking for resources that are not there.

Don't think for a minute I did this all on my own. I have to thank the wonderful Team Discovery members for giving me that little kick in the pants that I needed. Not only were they supportive but also have been so wonderful with their compliments of our talent.

For all the hours I have spent fussing over staged photos with no good luck, I have had all these beauties hiding in plain site. Boy, I feel sheepish!

Snow Covered Fence

Kayaker Paddling Bulls Sluice

Finding the Nectar

Luna Moth

They Ate My House! Gnome Mushroom