Saturday afternoon, Eli and I trooped down through the muck to our little pond. Armed with the camera and our old nature study manual, we spent a good chunk of time observing the piles of American toads that were peeping their heads off. This is just one great shot that Eli got - click here to view more photos of the toads on his blog.
As he clicked away, I read to him from the article on common toads in Anna Comstock's "Handbook of Nature Study." This book has been re-printed from the original 1911 edition for the myriads of homeschoolers who have discovered its' incredible usefulness - lots of wonderful articles on common insects, reptiles, mammals, plants, trees, etc., along with photos and good questions to ask while you observe. The copy we own is actually an old edition from 1928 - thick, mossy green with the engraving of a spider web on the front, and written in fountain pen inside the front cover the original owner, Anna M. Johnson, April 1928. What a treasure it is! I found it years ago at a large book sale - for all of $3. When I realized what it was, I let out a squeal of delight. Who knows what the other shoppers around me thought?!
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