Observation 1

There used to be a toad that lived under the vinyl (or plastic who can say) tarp which covers the fire pit in my backyard. The pit, well, it’s more like a table that has a small fire…I honestly don’t know what to call it, it’s a unit that has propane underneath it which lights up a little rectangular set of coals. We have rarely used it for its fiery purpose, which is to bring people together, outside, in the cold, while a warm fire warms them. We haven’t had that many people over, especially during the winter, mainly because we were isolating due to my husband’s cancer and chemotherapy.

Anyway, there is a fire pit/unit, which has gone unused.

Because it often rains, there is a cover for it, this plastic or vinyl fitted tarp which covers the coals and small pipes for the propane. The tarp rarely gets taken off, but I decided to just use the unit for a table a few weeks back. And for a time (the time that the unit was protected by the fitted tarp), a little toad lived under the tarp.

I learned about the toad because I decided, as I said, to move the tarp and use the table, and when I moved the tarp, I found it, as well as a few toad poos. I got close enough for the photo and to stroke his back quite softly, which I don’t think either one of us enjoyed. He was quite attractive for a toad, I have to say.