firefly fields and finely freckled froglings

last night i went on a bike ride. as i was biking along and smiling at all the tiny baby bunnies that sat nibbling clover beside the bike path, i realized how much i enjoy my “summer treadmill.” the winter means much more indoor biking with only the tv to keep me from getting bored. the other three seasons hold the wonders of nature. as i biked further along the path, i noticed these bouncy, dark pebbles that seemed to be bouncing onto the path. “that’s strange,” i thought, “pebbles, if they bounce, usually bounce off of the path.” and then i saw one pebble distinctly hop, not bounce. so i stopped my bike and backed up to examine this strange pebble and discovered that these pebbles were indeed very tiny little frogs! the first one that i saw hopped away if i even walked toward it, but the second one was brave enough (or petrified enough) that i was able to put my thumb down near his body to compare. he was small enough that he could have fit on my thumbnail like most frogs fit on a lilypad! so freakin’ cute! i tried not to think about all the fast bikes that go down that path and i didn’t see any squashed frogs, but i didnt’ look too closely just in case.

then, i stopped at goodwill to try to find some more capris–i’m bored/frustrated with the few i own and they’re pretty much all i wear in the summer to work–and i found at least one pair that will become a frequent outfit element and possibly two pairs (the second pair is a little weird and i will either hate them or love them. if it’s love, you’ll hear more about them on the blog later.). i also found another pair of comfy black pants (i have two pairs that i rotate between for wearing at home and it will be nice to have a third pair) and a pair of warm pants from rei that will be perfect for biking in winter. they have a little zipper pocket on the back waistband and they’re very comfy. they taper at the ankle and at first that was going to be my reason not to buy them until i realized that for biking, tapering is in! :)

finally, on the way home, i biked past some fields of tall tall grass and was greeted by hundreds of tiny, winking firefly lights.