Animal Crazy

I have an extreme empathy for animals. And children, but we'll stick to animals for this story.

That said, as you can imagine, I do not watch the Sara McLaughlin commercials. You know the ones where her song plays and some animal rescue/shelter agency puts the most pathetic, sympathy grabbing pictures of animals on the screen while filling your head with awful things happening to them so you'll send money. Or adopt. Or both. CAN'T. WATCH. I cover my eyes and start singing loudly until my husband or son changes the channel.

I also can't watch the lion eat the zebra baby or the great white eat the seals.

Yes, I'm that animal lover.

The marketing classes at my son's school had to hold a trade show. Each student had to find a company to represent and put together a booth promoting their products or services. The Boy's girlfriend chose a company that sells those little self contained aquarium environments that contain two little frogs in each.

Frogs. Little, inch long, swimming, always-underwater frogs.

She picked up the three aquariums she was displaying (and giving away in drawings) the day before the trade show and took them home. Her three cats decided they wanted frog legs for dinner and wouldn't leave them alone. And seeing how the cats were interested, her dopey dog figured he should be interested, too.

A call to The Boy resulted in the frogs spending the night in my house. In my dining room to be more exact. Three little aquariums of frogs that spend all their time either playing dead in the water, or trying to escape their limited surroundings.

Seriously, they swim at the side or the top as if they think they're going somewhere. But they only get two or three inches before they have to try again.

Ahem. Yes, I felt sorry for the frogs. I wanted to go buy them a full sized fish aquarium so they could swim freely. Little plastic sunken treasures to swim around. Bubbling sunken ships to hide in. I wanted to fool them into feeling like they had a life.

Then I looked outside and saw the pond. The pond where all the frogs in the neighborhood live. Hundreds of frogs. They could have a family! They could be free!

I started for the door as the local blue heron swooped in for an afternoon meal of frog legs (and bodies). *

I left the aquariums where they were and tried to pretend they weren't there. I breathed a sigh of relief when she came to pick them up after school. Out of sight, out of mind, right? I mean I don't think about zebras being lion dinner unless the damn nature shows are on. Or I'm writing about it.

If I had endless reserves of money, I would have a large ranch full of rescued animals. And frogs. I would be happy, the animals would be happy and people would think I was the Crazy Animal Lady.

Fortunately for Hubs, we live on a reasonable middle class budget.

*I didn't really head for the door with the frogs. But I did think about it. And we really do have a blue heron or two nearby that come by for frog meals fairly regularly.

***Ally
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