Postcript to "Measuring Depth"

Postscript to "Measuring Depth"

April 4, 2013

I went down to Cottonwood Pond again today.  I had forgotten the jar of water, having left it next to the log.  On this relatively very warm day, I went to retrieve the jar.

I now have three mysteries:

1.  The jar was lying in its side and, though the lid was tightly shut, most of the water was gone.  I poured out what little there was, rinse the jar and refilled it.  This time. I brought it up to the house and it is sitting on my desk, behind the computer, where I am now typing. 

2.  I could not find the dead Fox Squirrel!  I even poked around in the water at the edge of the pond with a stick.  It had always been so obvious, but now I could find no trace of it.  I thought of three possible answers:  someone had taken it out (not so likely), it had gotten silted over (slightly more likely), or it had sunk to the bottom.  Today, the water was greener and somewhat murky.  We have been having cold nights, but some sunny, warm days (including today), increasing the production of algae.  If it had sunk to the bottom, I might not be able to see it.

3.  There was a frog!!  The mystery is - what kind of frog.  As soon as I had gotten close to the pond, I saw it jump into the water from the edge, but it happened so fast that I did not see any details.  From the size of it and the time of year, my guess woulds be a Southern Leopard Frog, but I am not sure at all.  I will spend some time listening at dusk for frog calls.  During the day, I will sneak up to the pond and, from a little distance, scan the edge with binoculars.  But, the most important thing is ... Cottonwood Pond has a frog!  At least one frog!