Frogs,Ducks and Toads oh my ...

When we bought the behemoth called "Reno House", the pool had gone black and many would be buyers thought the lining was shot.I'm rather happy that the pool was so objectionable to the 239 people who tramped through the Open House as it gave us the opportunity to buy it, albeit 20 grand over the asking price.
It was a bedroom community for many critters from the Sifton Bog but especially ducks,frogs and toads. You could hear the ribbits from a block away and it was such a health hazard the neighbours called the city to force the former homeowners to reopen it. Ten years of mismanagement had turned it into mosquito heaven
The ducks,Canadian geese and the odd blue heron still fly in for a touchdown on the surface but do a mad but comical turn around once they realize that it's now blue.
The ducks loved it so much, one of them fell down the chimney adding that extra special scent of decay.(for a day, I was convinced it was the carpet)
Once we figured out that the pool could be saved it took six weeks to turn it around.
In the meantime, the pool spawned thousands of toad and frog tadpoles which fascinated Katie and her brother Homey on Homes to no end.
Homey is twenty five and lives across town with his Mom and spends much of his time with his girlfriend and her son.
He's an adult, a tough guy with a heart of gold,but definitely a boy at heart.
He and Katie would lean over the pool and collect tadpoles by the hundreds ,store them in a water filled pop bottle in order to save the toads before chlorinated sudden death. One night he took home a bottle of tadpoles to show the girlfriend's four year old son. Of course they died over night and caused a stench but hey it was the thought that counted.
It was a great summer,getting to know Homey as he assisted us out on the reno.
He's a good guy,very thoughtful underneath the rapper exterior. I think he had a good time learning new skills and spending time with his Dad.
How many twenty five year old men rescue tadpoles with their half sister ?
One toad survived, he must have escaped to a window well on the side of the house.
Katie captured him and we took a picture for posterity's sake to remember the pool as it once was.