Ok, I am giving you guys a break this week. I am not going to nag about safety; instead, I am going to talk about fun! It looks like winter is finally breaking in North Western Pennsylvania where I live. That makes me think that spring and the fun of camping are right around the corner. And how do I know that winter is breaking? For me, it sure isn’t the first Robin of the year (that was January 5th this year!). The Canada geese going North is a early sign, but there is still a lot of winter left; heck, they land on the ice of the Redbank Creek, near my house. No, for me, the first sign of spring is when I hear my first Spring Peeper. I hope you know what a “Spring Peeper” is, it is a generic term for the very small frogs that can be heard in the spring making tons of noise! One of my grandfather’s sayings was that the spring peepers when you heard them, would have to look through the ice three more times before spring! What that was to mean was that there would only be three more hard freezes before spring was finally here.
Now, I don’t know how true that old tale is, but from the first sound of the spring peepers you know that spring can’t be far behind. Now why do I say that this weeks article is for fun? I want you to try to take your kids, spouse or significant other out to find the spring peepers. It really isn’t hard… Just listen around a marshy area and go to where you hear the most noise. All you need is a pair of waterproof boots (the higher the better!), warm clothes and a flashlight (if you want to make it easier to see them, or should I say scare them less, put a red gel or red plastic over the lens!). Pick a night that is warm because, no matter how warm you think it is, someone will get something wet and end up cold. That is part of the fun. Don’t get mad just try again another night if you haven’t had any success. Spring peepers are a very tiny frog that makes noise all out of proportion to their size. They only measure about 1 inch to 1 1/2 inches long, and they are gray, brown or tan in color. They tend to cling to the sides of the marsh grasses and weeds in shallow water. The “Noise” they make is the males calling for a mate. The louder the sound the more attractive they are I guess — at least it seems to work for the female frogs.
Kids get a chance to be out at night with mom or dad, and anytime they get to play in water and with flashlights is a good time they love it. Looking for a little, tiny frog is something they can do often better than mom or dad! After they are tired and cold, bring them back home and make some hot chocolate and talk about the cute little, tiny frogs and that spring is coming, and the camping trips you are planning! You will be making memories with your kids!
Your Obedient Servant,
Gary Smith, Jr.