The Aloe Vera is Croaking!

No,it’s not dying…seriously, it's actually croaking!

For several mornings, just at sunrise, I’ve heard a strange, squawking noise while I’m in the office surfing the Net. I attributed it to some unidentifiable bird in the big tree outside, so I didn’t pay much attention to it. This morning, I happened to be standing near the aloe plant that resides in a big pot on the dining room table when I heard a loud croak emanate from inside the plant. When I checked, I saw a medium sized toad crawl back under one of the leaves and attempt to hide.

I brought this plant in from the patio before the first frost last November, so it’s been sitting on the table since then. I guess the toad hopped into the pot and burrowed into the soil while it was outside. Except for a few spiders and a lady bug or two, I haven’t seen any bugs in the house, so he must have been awfully hungry after two months inside.

There are a couple of huge flower pots on the patio that are empty except for dirt and a few leaves that have blown in since I took the flower bulbs out last fall. Well, that’s now his new home. Nothing much to protect him from above, but it’s the best I could do. The temperature reached 78F today, and there were a few bugs out and about, so he probably found lunch under the leaves.

Last summer, we discovered a chameleon in an artificial plant hanging on the wall. I have no idea how he got in the house, but I hope no other wild critters find a way to let themselves in. Two years ago, we had a copperhead in the house, so we’ve had our share of uninvited visitors.

A few years ago, I wrote a story about a toad that sat by our back door every night. The story was published in the local paper as a guest feature. I'll see if I can find it one of these days.