Frog Face

We made our first springtime visit of the year to Black Moshannon on Friday afternoon. I had personal business in Clearfield in the morning, and following that, we tried out a new restaurant (new to us, anyway). And so it was that we each had a beautiful steak salad for lunch at Moena's, a fine Italian restaurant in downtown Clearfield.

The afternoon stretched before us, and we were well fed and looking for adventure. The sky was full of dark clouds, spoiling for a rain later in the afternoon. So when my husband suggested we go home via Black Moshannon, I imagined with glee how great those dramatic clouds would look reflected on the water, and of course I said yes!

We walked along the little wooden boardwalk and the clouds were indeed marvelous; I snapped many fine reflection shots. The air was buzzing with some of the biggest bumblebees I have ever heard or seen. Two fisherman lazed around the lake in a canoe. A pair of Canada geese hung out on the water, looking for snacks. When I saw a jump and heard a sploosh near the boardwalk, I turned my attention (and my zoom lens) toward the source.

I had been reading online news that morning and had come across a story about the annual Whoopie Pie Festival in Lancaster, PA. So I guess I had whoopie pies on the brain. But my first thought when I saw this large creature through my zoom was that it looked like a whoopie pie, or maybe a sock puppet. "That's NOT a real frog," my husband said to me, shaking his head. But it was!

I was able to zoom in and get a number of good shots of the huge amphibian. It gave some pretty good face time. I didn't even notice the bubbles under its chin (and the reflection of said bubbles on the water) until later, when I downloaded the pics. And then we heard some of the music of this wild place echoing across the waters: the sound of bullfrogs making their music in the sun.

Now, this song may seem an odd one to pair with this frog face, but I have to tell you that this is a frog with attitude. And so the song applies: Steve Miller Band, with The Joker. I'm including an older and a more recent version of the tune.

Cause I'm a picker,
I'm a grinner,
I'm a lover and I'm a sinner,
I play my music in the sun . . .

P.S. Off and on throughout the afternoon, the clouds became very dramatic. I have just added an "extra photo" of the view from the dock nearby. It's called No Fishing From Dock. Enjoy!