Health Diary

Man, I'm getting bad about updating...

( Yesterday's--August 18, 2007 )

'Swims With Dragonflies'

Well, that was the weirdest swim yet this year.

Get to the pool and find that I have a 'chaperone' in the guise of a large amber dragon fly. As in I was followed, watched from the air, and even kept pace with. This happened for about five minutes, and then the amber one was joined by a green one...and then they both kept an eye on me, fly alongside and played with each other for about fifteen minutes.

Very odd, but very cool.

But that wasn't the oddest thing that happened.

After a while, my insect escorts departed for other places, and I was left to myself. I swam. Did some underwater stretching and laps, did breath holding exercises and ended it with a nice relaxing ten minute float. It was a great session. and I think I got some lingering kinks out of my back that had been hanging on.

So, here I am swimming for the steps, and I come across what I think is a big brown leaf (Being nearsighted and not having either glasses or contacts on, it's an easy mistake to make at first glance). So I try and push it away.

...and realize it's headed for my hand when I do that.

Two seconds later I realize it's a toad!

And yes...I did indeedy have ten seconds of girly 'OH SHIT TOAD GET AWAY!!!' *splash splash panic* as I tried to back up and get away from this damned amphibian who was insisting on following me oh god how come he can swim so fast??!

Fortunately for both me and Mr. Toad, the sane part of my head kicked in, smacked me into calm logic, and pointed out, quite reasonably, that the reason why the poor toad is probably coming after me is because I'm the first thing he's found since he fell into the pool that just might be able to get him out of the just-that-morning chlorinated water.

So, getting over my little girl ick response, I scooped the guy up and headed for the edge of the pool, settling my hand on the edge to let him hop off.

Which, unlike most normal wild toads, he didn't do for several minutes. Instead, he sat, dried off, watched me while I watched him, and silently made little croaking motions with his mouth.

Actually, he didn't move until I'd started dozing a little. When that happened, he hopped off, moving maybe all of five inches, and sat there. And stayed there while I asked him not to jump in the pool again because I might not be there to save him next time. And he stayed there too when I stood up and got out of the pool (By now, most toads, even half drowned and traumatized ones, would have been hopping for their little toady lives). So off I went to dry off on one of the pool chairs, and eventually he headed for the grass on the other side of the pool fence.

Yeah...like I said--odd. Cool, but odd.

Health Diary

And now for today's...

( August 19, 2007 )