Intober Day 8

Good evening….just want to point out that for some reason my Day 7 post did not launch to my website last night and I am just finding this out now, so it just posted. Well, at least my Instagram was timely.

Today’s prompt is “toad.” When you live in Florida, especially south of Orlando, being a vigilant and protective pet parent becomes a priority. Of course there are the usual threats; bobcats, coyotes, extremely large reptiles with lots of teeth, panthers and bears, and if you are a toy dog parent or a parent of a smaller cat, you have to worry about large birds of prey flying off with your fur baby. But in the southern part of the state, there are other threats, huge non-native snakes and an amphibian that is so poisonous, you could lose a small dog or cat pretty quick if you don’t seek instant help.

What sort of amphibian, you ask?  It’s a Bufo toad, also known as a cane toad.  They are very large when fully growth and extremely poisonous.  They are so poisonous that you need to be careful walking with flip-flops at night because they can make humans sick if you touch their poison glands.  The poison has been known to kill small pets.  These toads are so bad, Floridians have an open season on euthanizing them, humanely, of course. There are actually pest control folks that will remove the toads from your property.

You would never think that you need to teach your dog NOT to play with frogs and toads but that’s one training I would recommend.

The Drawlloween prompt for today is “mushroom.   This one is pretty much thinking along the same theme as the fairies from the other day.  I could have also sketched a faerie ring, too.  I’ll sneak that one in this month.  I like mushrooms and I like the thought of faeries who take care of living things, like mushrooms.  Mushrooms are also one of my favorite things to eat.  I try to sneak them into as many dishes as I can.  I love them cooked.  I can eat them raw, but my favorite is cooked mushrooms.