Polliwog Puddles

Off We Go

Last summer, many trees with oak wilt were removed in the park that we visit.  In the area where the trees were cut down, there are now two large puddles.  We heard that these puddles were brimming with polliwogs.  We have been staying close to home with our tiny baby recently.  Seeing this for ourselves was just the reason we needed get out of the house together.

Indeed, I have never seen so many little tadpoles in one place.  The gathering began.  

Last summer we gathered monarch caterpillars and watched them change.  I loved watching metamorphosis when I was young but I didn’t have many larva reach adulthood in my care.   Now when I can offer it to my children, I feel like the mother I imagined myself being.  

My mother reads to children.  She wasn’t allowed to just sit and read as a child.  She needed to be doing something.  My sister in law does crafts with my kids and they love it.  I like to collect little creatures from the world and watch them.  

Maybe we’ll be seeing one of these someday soon.

Last year I was committed to capturing one image a day to share on Flickr – my 365 Project.  Doing the project changed my photography in many ways.  One important thing that changed was my willingness to carry my camera daily without knowing what I might photograph.  On the day we went to the polliwog puddles, I almost left my camera at home.  It was one of my first walks out with all four kids.  Did I really want to carry a tiny baby and a camera too?  When we got to the puddle and I saw the kids’ reflections in the puddles, I was glad I did.  I also was happy to have it later that day when the kids found a toad in the grass.  I was happy that my macro lens was on the camera so I could get that close to the little fellow.

3 thoughts to “Polliwog Puddles”

  1. This series is stunning, Jenny – the colors, the reflections, the details. Your oldest girl's hands look so very big – so very grown up! I did a double take trying to figure out if that was actually you holding the pollywog!

    I have many wonderful childhood memories of watching polliwogs grow into frogs. My little brother and I never tired of looking for those magical little black creatures.

  2. the shot with the reflections is fantastic. I applaud your persistence and what must be amazing organisation getting 4 kids and a camera out to explore polywogs. maybe you'd enjoy the book "2 Kids and a Camera" too? Not like you have tons of time for reading, but just in case…

  3. Thank you. We're still waiting to see what they will become. They haven't changed much yet.

    P – I'll look for that book. Thanks.

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