Category Archives: * P.L.A.Y. in PLACE*

A Silly Summer of Rain or Shine

We’ve had quite the odd summer so far here in New England. It has been either full on hot sunshine or full on rain for most of this season thus far. There hasn’t been too many days with clear and moderate temperatures.

We began with super dry conditions and wondering if we would ever get the chance to enjoy building a campfire in the fire pit out in our community meadow. The garden seedlings needed constant tending to with frequent watering and folks adding mulch or wood chips to help retain the moisture.

There were very hot days that clustered together to make a heat wave more than once in both May and June.

Then the rains came in and everyone gave thanks for the assistance in watering the gardens and had much gratitude for the green lushness that naturally arrived too.

And now we are in the opposite situation where we are having day, after day, after day of rain. And the rain comes in quantities that have been raising the water levels in both the brook (seen above/below) and in the river adjoining our community property. A gain of 7 inches of rain was recorded in our personal gauge in just the span of a few days.

The gardens are now well watered naturally and the hoses sit all curled up wondering when they will ever get used again. The forest has mushrooms that are not typically seen at this time of year and the red efts have been seen in larger numbers on top of the leaf litter on my walks in the woods.

My daughters 6 year old goats, who are not known to thrive in rainy conditions due to hoof rot and other ailments, are tired of being penned up at the barn and eagerly await a dry day to be back out in the meadow munching on all that greenery that has been growing “like weeds”!

And that fire pit, well it has been mowed during one brief reprieve in the rain and now it sits all soggy waiting to dry out just enough to welcome our community to circle up and sit on the benches and share stories, roast marshmallows, and return to summer P.L.A.Y. time traditions.

May you and yours be taking the moment to soak in both the sun and the rain and being present for all the P.L.A.Y. nature moments in your neck-of-the-woods this summer.

Toad BOOK LOOK – Chapter 19 of 19

Chapter 19

Jimmy Skunk Is Just in Time

Jimmy Skunk ambled slowly along, chuckling as he thought of what a hurry Mr. Toad had been in, when he had heard that Mr. Hognose the snake had asked after him. It had been funny, very funny indeed, to see Mr. Toad try to hurry.

Suddenly Jimmy stopped chuckling. Then he stopped ambling along the Crooked Little Path. He turned around and looked back, and as he did so he scratched his head thoughtfully. He had just happened to think that Old Mr. Toad had gone up the Crooked Little Path, and it was up the Crooked Little Path that Mr. Hognose had shown himself that morning.

“If he’s still up there,” thought Jimmy, “Old Mr. Toad is hopping right straight into the very worst kind of trouble. How silly of him not to have asked me where Mr. Hognose was! Well, it’s none of my business. I guess I’ll go on.”

And yet he had just gone down the Crooked Little Path only a few steps when he stopped again. You see, Jimmy is really a very kind-hearted little fellow, and somehow he didn’t like to think of what might happen to Old Mr. Toad.

Skunk by Louis Agassiz Fuertes

“I don’t like to retrace my steps to go way back there,” he grumbled. “Still, the Green Meadows wouldn’t be quite the same without Old Mr. Toad. I should miss him if anything happened to him. I suppose it would be partly my fault, too, for if I hadn’t pulled over that piece of bark he probably would have stayed there the rest of the day and been safe.”

“Maybe he won’t meet Mr. Hognose,” said a little voice inside of Jimmy.

“And maybe he will,” said Jimmy right out loud. And with that, he started back up the Crooked Little Path, and funny and yet true Jimmy hurried.

He had just reached a turn in the Crooked Little Path when who should run right into him – Old Mr. Toad! He gave a frightened squeal and fell right over on his back, and kicked frightfully as he tried to get on his feet again. He was all out of breath, and so frightened and tired that all he could do was to kick and kick. He hadn’t seen Jimmy at all, for he had been looking behind him, and he didn’t even know who it was he had run into.

Right behind him came Mr. Hognose the snake. Of course he saw Jimmy, and he stopped short and hissed angrily.

“What were you going to do to Mr. Toad?” demanded Jimmy.

“None of your business!” hissed Mr. Hognose. “Get out of my way, or you’ll be sorry.”

Mr. Hognose the black snake

Jimmy Skunk stepped in front of Old Mr. Toad. Mr. Hognose coiled himself up in the path and darted his tongue out at Jimmy trying to look very fierce. Then he jumped straight at Jimmy Skunk with his mouth wide open, although he took great care not to jump quite far enough to reach Jimmy. You see, he was just trying to scare Jimmy

Jimmy didn’t scare though. He knows all about Mr. Hognose and that he really likes to bluff. So he suddenly gritted his teeth in a way not at all pleasant to hear and started for Mr. Hognose. Mr. Hognose didn’t wait. He suddenly turned and glided back up the Crooked Little Path, hissing angrily. Jimmy followed him a little way, and then he went back to Old Mr. Toad.

“Oh my,” panted Mr. Toad, “you came just in time! I couldn’t have hopped another hop.”

“I guess I did,” replied Jimmy. “Now you get your breath and come along with me.” And Old Mr. Toad did just that.

They both made their way together, with Jimmy Skunk escorting Old Mr. Toad, back down the Crooked Little Path and connecting to the Lone Little Path that they had met on just a few days earlier.

Then Old Mr. Toad spent his day resting after all the excitement and as jolly, round, Mr. Sun went to bed behind the Purple Hills he gave thanks for the good fortune of his friend with such good timing.

Discover more P.L.A.Y. TOAD nature videos and adventures!

TOAD #20: Tiny Toadlets

After watching the tadpoles and checking on them routinely how did I miss that ten tiny toadlets, like the one below, had sprouted arms and legs as tadpoles and were already hopping on the sandy river’s edge?

Notice how the tail hasn’t completely gone away and will continue dissolving into the toad as it grows.

When the toadlets first exit the water they are very tiny in relation to a human finger.

 ~ ~ ~ BOOK LOOK ~ ~ ~

The Adventures of Old Mr. Toad (Annotated):

A P.L.A.Y. Nature Activity Story Book 

by Karen L. Willard

Join Peter Rabbit and friends on adventures discovering all about Old Mr. Toad and his days spent in and out of the water!

See sample story pages + purchase HERE

More Tadpoles + Toads in motion at PINTEREST HERE.

P.L.A.Y. – Pass it on!

Toad BOOK LOOK – Chapter 18 of 19

Chapter 18

Old Mr. Toad’s Mistake

“If” is a very little word to look at, and the biggest word you have ever seen doesn’t begin to have so much meaning as the little “if”. If Jimmy Skunk hadn’t ambled down the Crooked Little Path just when he did; if he hadn’t been looking for fat beetles; if he hadn’t seen that big piece of bark at one side and decided to pull it over; if it hadn’t been for all these “ifs,” why Old Mr. Toad wouldn’t have made the mistake he did, and you wouldn’t have had this story. However, Jimmy Skunk did amble down the Crooked Little Path, he did look for beetles, and he did pull over that big piece of bark. And when he had pulled it over, he found Old Mr. Toad there.

Old Mr. Toad had crept under that piece of bark because he wanted to take a nap. And when Jimmy Skunk told him that he had seen Mr. Hognose the snake that very morning, and that Mr. Hognose had asked after Old Mr. Toad, the very last bit of sleepiness left Old Mr. Toad. He was instantly wide awake. You see, he knew right away why Mr. Hognose the snake had asked after him. He knew that Mr. Hognose has a fondness for Toads. He turned quite pale when he heard that Mr. Hognose had asked after him, and right then he made his mistake. He was in such a hurry to get away from that neighborhood that he forgot to ask Jimmy Skunk just where he had seen Mr. Hognose. He hardly waited long enough to say goodbye to Jimmy Skunk, and he started off as fast as he could go.

Now it just happened that Old Mr. Toad started up the Crooked Little Path, and it just happened that Mr. Hognose the snake was coming down the Crooked Little Path. Now when people are very much afraid, they almost always seem to think that danger is behind instead of in front of them. It was so with Old Mr. Toad. Instead of watching out in front as he hopped along, he kept watching over his shoulder, and that was his second mistake.

He was so sure that Mr. Hognose was somewhere behind him that he didn’t look to see where he was going.

Black Snake like Mr. Hognose

Old Mr. Toad went hopping up the Crooked Little Path as fast as he could, which wasn’t very fast, because he never can hop very fast. And all the time he kept looking behind for Mr. Hognose the snake.

Presently he came to a turn in the Crooked Little Path, and as he hurried around it, he almost ran into Mr. Hognose himself. It was simply a question of which of them was more surprised. For just a wee second they stared at each other. Then Mr. Hognose’s eyes began to sparkle.

“Good morning, Mr. Toad. Isn’t this a beautiful morning? I was just thinking about you,” he said.

Poor Old Mr. Toad couldn’t say good morning. He didn’t say anything. He couldn’t, because he was too scared. He just gave a frightened little squeal, turned around, and started down the Crooked Little Path twice as fast as he had come up. Mr. Hognose the snake grinned and started after him, not very fast though because he knew that he wouldn’t have to glide very fast to catch Old Mr. Toad, and he thought the exercise would do him good.

And this is how it happened that summer morning that jolly, bright Mr. Sun, looking down from the blue, blue sky and smiling to see how happy everybody seemed, suddenly discovered that there was one of the little meadow people who wasn’t happy, and was instead terribly, terribly unhappy. It was Old Mr. Toad hopping down the Crooked Little Path for his life, while after him, and getting nearer and nearer, glided Mr. Hognose.

Discover more P.L.A.Y. TOAD nature videos and adventures!

Toad BOOK LOOK – Chapter 17 of 19

Chapter 17

Jimmy Skunk is Surprised

Jimmy Skunk ambled along the Crooked Little Path down the hill. He didn’t hurry because Jimmy doesn’t believe in hurrying. The only time he ever hurries is when he sees a fat beetle trying to get out of sight. Then Jimmy does hurry. And yet just now he didn’t see any fat beetles, although he was looking for them. So he just ambled along as if he had all the time in the world, as indeed he had. He was feeling great. Summer had arrived to stay. On every side he heard glad voices. Bumble the Bee was humming a song. Best of all, Jimmy had found three beetles that very morning, and he knew that there were more if he could find them. All felt right with the world.

Jimmy’s sharp little eyes twinkled as he ambled along, and there wasn’t much that they missed. As he walked he talked, quite to himself of course, because there was nobody near to hear, and this is what he was saying:


“Beetle, beetle, smooth and smug,
You are nothing but a bug.
Bugs were made for Skunks to eat,
So come out from your retreat.”

Jimmy Skunk by Louis Agassiz Fuertes

“Hello! There’s a nice big piece of bark over there that looks as if it ought to have a dozen fat beetles under it. It’s great fun to pull over pieces of bark and see fat beetles run all ways at once. I’ll just have to see what is under that piece.”

Jimmy tiptoed softly over to the big piece of bark, and then as he made ready to turn it over, he began again that little verse.

“Beetle, beetle, smooth and smug,
You are nothing but a bug.”

As he said the last word, he suddenly pulled the piece of bark over.

“Who’s a bug?” asked a funny voice, and it sounded rather cross. Jimmy Skunk nearly tumbled over backward in surprise, and for a minute he couldn’t find his tongue. There, instead of the fat beetles he had been so sure of, sat Old Mr. Toad, and he didn’t look at all pleased.

“Who’s a bug?” he repeated.

Instead of answering, Jimmy Skunk began to laugh. “Who’s a bug?” Old Mr. Toad asked again.

“There isn’t any bug, Mr. Toad, and I beg your pardon,” replied Jimmy, remembering his politeness. “I just thought there was. You see, I didn’t know you were under that piece of bark. I hope you will excuse me, Mr. Toad. Have you seen any fat beetles this morning?”

Toad

“No,” said Old Mr. Toad a little grumpily, and yawned and rubbed his eyes.

“Why,” exclaimed Jimmy Skunk, “I believe you have just woken up!”

“What if I have?” said Old Mr. Toad.

“Oh, nothing, nothing at all, Mr. Toad,” replied Jimmy Skunk, “only you are the second one I’ve met this morning who has just woken up.

“Who was the other?” asked Old Mr. Toad.

“Mr. Hognose,” replied Jimmy. “He inquired for you.”

Old Mr. Toad turned quite pale. “I–I think I best be moving along,” he said.

Discover more P.L.A.Y. TOAD nature videos and adventures!

TOAD #19: Spring Strand Magic

Why are some egg strands curly and others long?

Why are some clear and others dusty?

Visit Pinterest HERE to see the current in the river gently rock the sparkly sand coated and curly toad egg strands.

 ~ ~ ~ BOOK LOOK ~ ~ ~

The Adventures of Old Mr. Toad (Annotated):

A P.L.A.Y. Nature Activity Story Book 

by Karen L. Willard

Join Peter Rabbit and friends on adventures discovering all about Old Mr. Toad and his days spent in and out of the water!

See sample story pages + purchase HERE

More Tadpoles + Toads in motion at PINTEREST HERE.

Toad BOOK LOOK – Chapter 16 of 19

Chapter 16

Old Mr. Toad Gives Peter a Scare

It was too much for Peter. Look as he would, he couldn’t see so much as a chip under which Old Mr. Toad might have hidden, excepting the old board, and Old Mr. Toad had given his word of honor that he wouldn’t hide under that. Nevertheless, Peter hopped over to it and turned it over again, because he couldn’t think of any other place to look. Of course, Old Mr. Toad wasn’t there. He had given his word that he wouldn’t hide there, and he always lives up to his word.

Old Mr. Toad had also said that he would not go three feet from the spot where he was sitting at the time, so Peter should have known better than to have raced up the Crooked Little Path as he did. And yet if Old Mr. Toad had nothing to hide under, of course he must have hopped away, reasoned Peter. He couldn’t hop far in five minutes, that was sure, and so Peter ran this way and that way a great deal farther than it would have been possible for Old Mr. Toad to have gone. It was not a successful search, and presently Peter returned and sat down on the very spot where he had last seen Old Mr. Toad. Peter felt so confused and he began to think that Old Mr. Toad must have had some strange power of making himself invisible.

Peter Rabbit

For a long time Peter sat perfectly still, trying to puzzle out how Old Mr. Toad had disappeared, and yet the more he puzzled over it, the more impossible it seemed. Plain and simple Old Mr. Toad had disappeared. Suddenly Peter gave a start and jumped higher than he ever had jumped before in all his life. The voice of Old Mr. Toad himself, had said, “Well, now are you satisfied?” And that voice had come from right under Peter! When he turned to look, there sat Old Mr. Toad right where he himself had been sitting just a moment before. Peter rubbed his eyes and stared.

“Wh-wh-where did you come from?” he stammered at last.

Old Mr. Toad grinned. “I’ll show you,” he said. And right while Peter was looking at him, he began to sink down into the ground until only the top of his head could be seen. Then that disappeared. Old Mr. Toad had gone down, and the sand had fallen right back over him. Peter just had to rub his eyes again. Then, to make sure, he began to dig away the sand where Old Mr. Toad had been sitting. In a minute he felt Old Mr. Toad, who had come out once again.

Old Mr. Toad’s beautiful eyes twinkled with delight.

Sandy area where Mr. Toad can dig in beside the tadpole pond.

“How in the world did you do it?” asked Peter with disbelief.

Old Mr. Toad held up one of his stout hind feet, and on it was a kind of spur. “There’s another just like that on the other foot,” he said, “and I use them to dig with. You go into a hole headfirst, and I go in the other way. I make my hole in soft earth and back into it at the same time, this way.” He began to work his stout hind feet, and as he kicked the earth out, he backed in at the same time. When he was deep enough, the earth just fell back over him, for you see it was very loose and not packed down at all. When he once more reappeared, Peter thanked him. Then he asked one more question.

“Is that the way you go into winter quarters?”

Old Mr. Toad nodded. “And it’s the way I escape from my predators.”

Discover more P.L.A.Y. TOAD nature videos and adventures!

SALE – Summer Season Starter

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See sample of a completed Book Page

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And try these P.L.A.Y. Nature Activity STORY Adventure Books too!

The Adventures of Old Mr. Toad (Annotated):

A P.L.A.Y. Nature Activity Story Book

From Old Mr. Toad’s Music Bag and The Smiling Pool Playground to Old Mr. Toad’s Odd Tongue you will find plenty of engaging and entertaining chapters in this nature story activity book created for the young and young at heart.

Thornton Burgess’ 100+ year old original characters have been updated in this edition for the 21st century family to model mindfulness and loving kindness throughout their adventures in the Green Forest and beyond.

Bonus Materials includes:

  • The opportunity to illustrate each chapter
  • Photos of the life cycle including shiny egg strands, tadpoles, and toad!
  • Curious question prompts to challenge the reader and family
  • Recommended resources to continue on the P.L.A.Y. path to discover more about toads!

Sample P.L.A.Y. TOAD stories and activities today!

The Adventures of Paddy the Beaver (Annotated) –

A P.L.A.Y. Nature Activity Story Book

From Paddy the Beaver building a home and building a new friendship with Sammy Jay to creating a winter tail trail in the snow you will find plenty of engaging and entertaining moments in this nature story activity book created for the young and young at heart.

Thornton Burgess’ 100+ year old original characters have been updated in this edition for the 21st century family to model mindfulness and loving kindness throughout their adventures in the Green Forest.

Bonus Materials included:

  • Opportunities to illustrate each chapter
  • Photos of beaver activity
  • Tree themed coloring and nature journaling pages
  • Curious questions and prompts to challenge the reader and family
  • Recommended resources to continue on the P.L.A.Y. path to discover more about beavers!

See more P.L.A.Y. Nature Adventure books for only $5.25 each!

Toad BOOK LOOK – Chapter 15 of 19

Chapter 15

Old Mr. Toad Disappears

“You see, it was this way,” explained Peter. “I heard something under that old board, and I just naturally turned it over to find out what was there. I was so-o-o curious.”

“Humph!” grunted Old Mr. Toad.

“I didn’t have the least idea that you were there,” continued Peter. “When I found who it was, and what you were doing, I couldn’t help watching because it was so interesting. I’m sorry, Mr. Toad. Truly I am. I didn’t mean to be so impolite. I don’t suppose, Mr. Toad, that it seems at all wonderful to you that you can change your suit that way, like it does to me. I had heard that you swallowed your old suits, and yet I never half believed it. Now I know it is so and just how you do it, and I feel as if I had learned something worth knowing.”

“Humph!” grunted Old Mr. Toad again, and it was very clear that he was actually a little flattered by Peter’s interest in him and was rapidly recovering his good nature.

“There is one thing I don’t understand yet,” said Peter, “and that is where you go to to sleep all winter. Do you go down into the mud at the bottom of the Smiling Pool the way Grandfather Frog does?”

“Oh no,” replied Old Mr. Toad “if I had spent the winter in the Smiling Pool, do you suppose I would have left it to come way up here and then have turned right around and gone back there to sing? I’m not so fond of long journeys as all that.

Toad on the floor of the Green Forest

“Actually, if I wanted to, I could disappear right here” said Old Mr. Toad.

“You mean that you would hide under that old board just as you did before?” asked Peter.

“Nothing of the sort! I could disappear and not go near that old board, not a step nearer than I am now,” Mr. Toad said proudly.

Peter looked in all directions carefully, and yet he could not see a thing under which Old Mr. Toad could possibly hide except the old board, and he had said he wouldn’t hide under that. “I don’t like to doubt your word, Mr. Toad,” he said, “however, you’ll just have to show me before I can believe that.”

Old Mr. Toad’s eyes twinkled. “If you’ll turn your back to me and look straight down the Crooked Little Path for five minutes, I’ll disappear,” he said. “More than that, I give you my word of honor that I will not hop three feet from where I am sitting.”

“All right,” replied Peter promptly, turning his back to Old Mr. Toad. “I’ll look down the Crooked Little Path for five minutes and promise not to peek.”

The Crooked Little Path running along the edge of the Green Forest.

So Peter sat and gazed straight down the Crooked Little Path. It was a great temptation to roll his eyes back and peep behind him. Although tempted he did not peek. When he thought the five minutes were up, he turned around. Old Mr. Toad was nowhere to be seen. Peter looked hastily this way and that way, and there was not a sign of Old Mr. Toad. He had disappeared as completely as if he never had been there.

Discover more P.L.A.Y. TOAD nature videos and adventures!

TOAD #18: Spring Magic Squiggles

Why do some toad eggs appear as white dots amongst the strands of black eggs?

Why are some egg strands up out of the water?

What will happen to those eggs?

 

Visit Pinterest HERE to listen to the toad chorus and see these egg strands in motion!

 ~ ~ ~ BOOK LOOK ~ ~ ~

The Adventures of Old Mr. Toad (Annotated):

A P.L.A.Y. Nature Activity Story Book 

by Karen L. Willard

Join Peter Rabbit and friends on adventures discovering all about Old Mr. Toad and his days spent in and out of the water!

See sample story pages + purchase HERE

More Tadpoles + Toads in motion at PINTEREST HERE.