Visitors to the Lotus

The lotus are blooming outside the front door now. Nine blooms this year. I've had three special guests the past few days. The mori ao gaeru( Japanese green forest frog) is an endagered species. I have a huge tank behind the clay storehouse next to the stream for the adults to lay the huge foaming egg sacks in the trees high above. They fall into the water and the tadpoles are relatively safe there for the few months it takes to grow legs. Their croaks are especially charming. (Imagine a frog imitating a woodpecker on a tin wall with a hoarse throat.) This handsome fellow just wanted to get as close as possible to the most fragrant beautiful spot in the entire valley. He cuddled right in there with his eyes closed, stoned out his mind on heavenly lotus fragrance.