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Thursday, July 30, 2009

Alice and the Toad Prince

It has been a long time since I last had a visit from my little friend Alice. I was finally able to drag her away from her favorite cartoon, Scooby Doo, so she could go on a short hike with me. I thought she might like to see some of the warm weather animals I've been visiting in one of my favorite nature parks.

We were in luck because there were many of them that came out to see Alice for the first time. It's not every day that you get to meet a big star from Wonderland like Alice, so I think most of the animals were pretty excited. I didn't see that evil squirrel Mr. Nutz out there anywhere though. I think he's afraid of her.

A black squirrel greeted us at the front of the park, but it ran as soon as I tried to get its picture. Next were the young geese that I've been watching. They thought Alice was about the best creature they had ever seen, so they swam over to see her. Even the cormorant lake monster was there. I was glad because I know Alice had never seen that before.

After visiting with many of the animals at this nature park, and getting another look at the dam, Alice and I headed back to the trail. As we were walking back through the darkest part of the forest a big toad hopped over to the side of the trail and stopped and stared at Alice.

I was the first one to see it so I looked at her and asked her if she wanted to see a toad. She likes all animals so we stopped to see this new wonder. As I began taking my pictures of this toad I told Alice to pick it up. She of course refused. I teased her and told her if she kissed this toad it would turn into a prince.

Little Alice looked at me and said that all that would happen is that the toad would pee on her and give her warts. She then said she would beat it up if it turned into a prince anyway. Just like me, little Alice is Irish, and that's how we handle just about everything. So since I didn't want a punch in the stomach I decided that we should probably move on our way.

I looked back once at this poor toad still waiting there beside the trail. I guess it would never know what it would be like to be a prince. Alice was probably right that there would be no prince, because it was actually a frog in the old story that became a prince. Maybe this toad was just trying to fool us.

Alice quickly forgot this incident, but she did like seeing all of the animals, even the toad. I think she was probably glad that the snakes didn't come out to meet her though. As we arrived back at the front of the park Alice happily began practicing her skipping. She had been having trouble learning that, so she's glad she figured it out.

After we had seen all of the animals and flowers we could, and after Alice got to pick out a very good stick to wave around at her brother, we decided it was time to go. I took Alice back to Wonderland so she could go back to watching her cartoons. She likes going on adventures, but she really likes her cartoons just a little bit more.

Any of you who have never met my little friend Alice can click here to read about some of her other adventures on these trails with me.

16 comments:

  1. Wow....glad to see Alice back to this trail with you.....It is really great that you have this little friend with you and she will love nature as much as you did when she grow up.

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  2. Hey, Nice to have a friend along for your adventures - too bad she likes her cartoons more, she will soon come to enjoy the adventures more as she grows and has more fun. Thanks for sharing your adventures with all of the wonderful creatures of the wild.

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  3. He has a right real camouflage suit..isnt he?

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  4. Wow..that is a great camouflage, and great pictures, Ratty, not to mention you have Alice on the hike to keep you company.

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  5. If Alice could have kissed the toad, the then prince maybe as handsome as the toad.

    Is a toad handsome?

    Welcome back Alice, I heard you are laughing.

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  6. I have been away for a few days and missed some of your post, all great as usual on the wonderfully recorded "Ratty Trail".

    Best Regards,
    A.J.

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  7. Ratty, when are you going to show me some frogs??? I'll take the toad for today, but a big lovely bullfrog would be nice someday too. Please, Ratty, please???

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  8. the toad looks one of the leaves. Alice made me laugh, say my thanks to her, i should avoid the toad too, dont want to get warts.

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  9. I'm glad you had Alice along with your on your journey. The toad blends right in with the terrain. Great photos, as always.

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  10. I am glad she has forgotten the dragons...and good for her not to be in too much of a hurry to kiss those frogs or toads! All in good time...

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  11. wow, alice got to see a lot of your little friends on this little hike, huh. i'm glad that she didn't pick the toad up and get peed on. that would have been a shame.

    great adventure and pics once again ratty!

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  12. We were on telepathic parallel universes today Ratty!!!

    How is it that you and I BOTH can do a post about a toad without even talking with each other??

    There is definitely something in the air.

    Glad you have a little Alice to walk on the trail with you and see the cool nature!! That is THE BEST!

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  13. Very nice to have Alice to explore the trail with you, seeing nature through a child's eyes is the greatest experience ever. Too bad she is more interested in cartoons but that might change.

    The toad is very well camouflaged, great photos.

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  14. What a lovely story and the photos of Alice were amazing.

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  15. That's such a nice adventure. I'm sure Alice will become more fond of nature.. more than Scooby.. =D

    The toad has a cool camouflage too as I first thought it was a patch of dried mud on the leaves. Their ability to identify exact tones of their backgrounds is so amazing.. might make excellent artists if only they knew how to draw or paint. =D

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  16. Sorry I still am not able to answer each comment individually yet. I am reading them all though. I'm hoping Alice will be visiting again within the next week. I want to give you an entertaining story about her like I used to.

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