Results 1 to 15 of 15

Thread: Frogs

  1. #1

    Frogs

    Chuck asked if I had seen any BullFrogs this year.
    I see them all Winter. Like snakes and turtles, they don't actually hibernate. On any Sunny day one might choose to appear. BullFrogs eat anything they can stuff into their mouth, have seen them jump up trying to catch small birds. Like other cold blooded local critters, they can't digest food in Winter.

    Some years I bring in BullFrog tadpoles. Watching them turn to frogs excites me as much as when I was ten.
    The deal for most with a garden pond is a frog will stay forever if he is happy. In time, mine tend to drift to the lake. I have always had a few for the last 20 years, but they don't take over and don't lay eggs in my ponds. I do gather eggs from the lake (tree frogs) and add them to my frog pond where no fish are kept. K claims if the neighbor's knew the deafening sound they make in Summer was on me -> I would be ~~?

    I can see I have at least 5 grown BullFrogs right now.
    Pretty sure I will add a hundred BullFrog tadpoles this year because --> why not? I spread them among my 4 small ponds. They make a very interesting addition to an aquarium, but I can't risk something they might bring along to my aquarium, so keep them outside.
    Here is one near my new alligator:

    Name:  frog777.jpg
Views: 789
Size:  111.8 KB

  2. #2
    SMA
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    A private "Galt's Gulch" in a Red state in the South
    Posts
    1,112
    I love that deafening sound they make. Maybe they are here and I just haven't heard them yet. I'll keep my ears tuned in.

  3. #3
    2LT Mike Kelly's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Clarkesville, Ga
    Posts
    1,346
    I like to hear the bullfrogs. It always reminds me back when I was a kid and went camping. We always camped near a pond and they croaked all night. It was the crickets and bullfrogs making the music while we sat around the campfire. It was back in a time when a kid like me had no worries. Not sure if those kind of times exist anymore.

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Chuck Farley View Post
    I love that deafening sound they make. Maybe they are here and I just haven't heard them yet. I'll keep my ears tuned in.
    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Kelly View Post
    I like to hear the bullfrogs. It always reminds me back when I was a kid and went camping. We always camped near a pond and they croaked all night. It was the crickets and bullfrogs making the music while we sat around the campfire. It was back in a time when a kid like me had no worries. Not sure if those kind of times exist anymore.
    Posts like these make my day !!

    I am the only guy in a tie

  5. #5
    2LT Mike Kelly's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Clarkesville, Ga
    Posts
    1,346
    As a kid I camped many times on Mr. J. D. Cronic's land not too far from where I grew up. We set the tent up in his pasture near the pond. We were not near any roads or houses. At night the only light we had was the campfire and our cheap flashlights (batteries were about dead before the next day). We pissed behind the tent and took a crap in the field. Cooked on the open campfire. I camped there with the Boy Scouts and sometimes with my friend and his dad. One time we caught our fish and cooked them for supper. Last year I went to see my friend's dad. It was for his son's funeral, who was my childhood friend that I camped with. His dad spoke of our camping trips together at his son's funeral. He spoke about us catching and cooking the fish. Post like these make me think back to a time ????

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Kelly View Post
    As a kid I camped many times on Mr. J. D. Cronic's land not too far from where I grew up. We set the tent up in his pasture near the pond. We were not near any roads or houses. At night the only light we had was the campfire and our cheap flashlights (batteries were about dead before the next day). We pissed behind the tent and took a crap in the field. Cooked on the open campfire. I camped there with the Boy Scouts and sometimes with my friend and his dad. One time we caught our fish and cooked them for supper. Last year I went to see my friend's dad. It was for his son's funeral, who was my childhood friend that I camped with. His dad spoke of our camping trips together at his son's funeral. He spoke about us catching and cooking the fish. Post like these make me think back to a time ????
    ** All Star Post **

    Maybe we need the gnomes to put up an archive forum for post voted to it?

    Any agree?

  7. #7
    2LT Mike Kelly's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Clarkesville, Ga
    Posts
    1,346
    There is more to this story. My friend's dad was my Scoutmaster also. When I turned 50 years old (many years ago), I wrote a letter to the five people who had profound influence on my life. His dad was one of those five.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Kelly View Post
    As a kid I camped many times on Mr. J. D. Cronic's land not too far from where I grew up. We set the tent up in his pasture near the pond. We were not near any roads or houses. At night the only light we had was the campfire and our cheap flashlights (batteries were about dead before the next day). We pissed behind the tent and took a crap in the field. Cooked on the open campfire. I camped there with the Boy Scouts and sometimes with my friend and his dad. One time we caught our fish and cooked them for supper. Last year I went to see my friend's dad. It was for his son's funeral, who was my childhood friend that I camped with. His dad spoke of our camping trips together at his son's funeral. He spoke about us catching and cooking the fish. Post like these make me think back to a time ????
    After 3.14 bottles of beer (Tony will get the humor due to this month) on the porch can't not join the fun of that memory train Mike posted.

    I camped often as kid, often in sight of my home. I got picked up by local cops for raiding local fruit trees after midnight. No need to run as they knew us.

    In the day flashlights were poor and we tried things to make them bright all sorts of ways. Even as a cop when I had the best available, they were little more than a handy club. Now I have some that are incredible!! If I had these as a kid or a cop???!!!

    You can't camp with out a campfire. That is a major point. Cooking on them for a kid is what it is.
    I can remember getting up on cold mornings and standing near them. One side was warm so you had to keep turning.
    Campfires at night have magic. I remember the many shared tales as to things like local ghosts and Snipes. I suspect no one now knows what a Snipe is or has gone "Snipe hunting".

    One night at a campfire in Saluda, an Indian dancing around the fire jerked me up. He left me blind folded on the edge of a Blue Ridge cliff to spend the night. I was warned not to move or I might fall to my death. Even if one of the many Timber Rattlesnakes were to crawl over me, I was not to move. I did not sleep that night.

    We of course fished when camping. One time I remember Mr Gantt brought chicken livers. We put them out for snappers and caught a huge one.

    First deal was to dig a latrine. Then to dig a trench around your tent.

  9. #9
    Only went camping once in high school and it was great fun. I had a big tent and would sleep in it in my back yard lots of times. No woods or lakes or streams just outdoors and the dark and night sounds.

    As for frogs, Off and on for the past 2 months or so we have heard them in the park on Sunday morning. They are so loud that you have to almost yell to be heard. Most people don’t seem to even know what that sound is. We laugh. They may be gone now. It was warm last weekend and they could not be heard. Many of the marshy areas in the park sort of dried up a bit and maybe that reduced the frogs in those areas. Each year that sound is the first thing that comes which allows me to think spring is not far off.

  10. #10
    CSM
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Toccoa & Clayton, GA
    Posts
    904
    I have great memories of my camping days when I was growing up. Much of it was with the Boy Scouts. Our Scout leaders were amazing with their dedication to give us unbelievable adventures that shaped our young lives. We camped up in the North Carolina Smokey Mountains, and way down near Florida in the Okefenokee Swamp every summer. We had to deal with bears in the Smokies and Alligators in the Okefenokee. It is amazing that these leaders sacrificed so much time away from their families to help train and shape the lives of us young boys. The adventures that we had would not be possible today due to the pussification of our society.

    We also spent at least a week each summer at the Northeast GA Boy Scout camp in Rabun County. The camp had many adirondak shacks scattered along the hillside for us to camp in and they also had a dining hall. A nice little mountain lake was there with canoes and many boys learned to swim there. Many activities were available for us to earn merit badges .

    https://www.nega-bsa.org/campraineymountain

  11. #11
    CSM
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Toccoa & Clayton, GA
    Posts
    904
    Another big bonus for us scouts is we had the opportunity every Fall to serve as Ushers at all home games of UGA. I took advantage of each one of these in the late 1950's. I actually got to watch every home game that College Hall of Fame Quarterback Fran Tarkenton played in college. He broke the mold for QB's with unbelievable scrambling ability and carried that into a Hall of Fame NFL career.

    We would be assigned to a section in the stadium and show fans to their correct seats. Then, after the game started, we could set anywhere there was space .

  12. #12
    2LT Mike Kelly's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Clarkesville, Ga
    Posts
    1,346
    Tony, I got my merit badge in canoeing at Rainy Mountain in Rabun County. Got my Order of the Arrow there also. Great place, but they tell me it has changed. Mostly more woman at camp during the summer than boys and men. I too ushered at the UGA games. Great times as a boy and great memories! Still have all my patches. We got patches for ushering the UGA games also. Did the mile swim several times at Rainy Mountain. I've been invited by our local Scout Troop 5 to go back with them during their summer week there. Not sure if I will go or not. They wanted me to see what has happened during the summer camps. They told me I will not like what I will see. I loved Rainy Mountain as a kid and as an Assistant Scoutmaster.

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Tony Presley View Post
    I have great memories of my camping days when I was growing up. Much of it was with the Boy Scouts. Our Scout leaders were amazing with their dedication to give us unbelievable adventures that shaped our young lives.
    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Kelly View Post
    Tony, I got my merit badge in canoeing at Rainy Mountain in Rabun County. Got my Order of the Arrow there also.


    Our Camp was in Saluda, now named 'Bob Hardin'.
    A week there was an amazing adventure for a kid from Chester. I think it cost like $14 for the week which was a lot of money in the 50's. Us Troop 73 kids would collect bottles and cardboard, and sell all sorts of things to get up the $$. Led by the Great Willie Clack we earned money year round. We were all Mill Hill kids, and a dollar was a lot of money.

    The camp week was off the chart great!
    Like you guys, got 'Order of The Arrow' there (only place you could for us). The same with some merit badges. Camp was the only possible way to learn Morse Code, which in my day was required for 1st Class.

    I still have all my patches and medals and even my Scout uniform. I am very proud of me as to my Scout years, less so in other decades. Tony here is one of your 'Okefenokee' that I have --
    Name:  104169047_10213011665005378_3989807143247989581_o.jpg
Views: 558
Size:  108.1 KB
    Old patches sell for hundred$ on ebay.

    Name:  bh.jpg
Views: 588
Size:  67.6 KB
    That is Bob Hardin on the right.
    My ScoutMaster (one of many I had) is Amos Gannt (2nd from the rear right).
    Sad is the guy who made all this possible for myself and many, many of us is not in this photo as he worked behind the scenes and was never the ScoutMaster. In truth he was the Scout Leader for hundreds, and the best man in my life.

    Name:  105009936_740455243162135_9178758483254812693_o.jpg
Views: 616
Size:  184.6 KB

    A kid can't make Eagle if his parents are not backing him, and certainly mine were. Mine were the best!! Stout Dog is a member here and met them. He will agree.

    Name:  105042878_10213011558602718_1432552195297906330_o.jpg
Views: 584
Size:  154.6 KB

  14. #14
    2LT Mike Kelly's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Clarkesville, Ga
    Posts
    1,346
    Not becoming an Eagle Scout is one of my biggest regrets in life. I have the utmost respect for Eagle Scouts, especially those who earned the rank back in the early years. Today's standards are totally different. I have been to a few Eagle Scout ceremonies. Brings tears to my eyes as I watch the mothers pinning the badge on their sons. Proud parents as pictured above.

  15. #15
    I don't know how you get Eagle today.

    In my day it was impossible. A kid could not do it.
    I say that because no kid could do it. We went through the Scout Manuel (still have mine) and sought the easy Merit Badges. The requirements for many were out of our reach. You could pick some, but some were required to advance.
    Maybe we could earn the Home Repair one on our own, or the Physical Fitness one, but some thing like 'Citizenship' meant once a week teachings under Mattie Hardin who was Clerk of Court who demanded attention.

    Some badges like boating or canoeing were best attempted at Camp as who had a canoe?
    One week there I took Nature. I was taught to ID some trees and plants. It is nothing like what a guy like Tony knows, but that week has has added interest all my life. I can tell a Popular from a Sycamore.

    I say it is impossible for a kid, and that was true in my day. It took adults to get you to Mrs Hardin or to Camp. Eagle was not the real reward, it was being around men who helped you achieve and were examples to show the way. My Troop 73 had those guys. I was blessed. They were not wimps. They were RedNecks who challenged you to do better.

    The "Eagles" were not the kids, but the leaders we had.
    Name:  106088648_743986816142311_92183397435471543_o.jpg
Views: 537
Size:  136.6 KB

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •