Tree Frogs: The Sound of Summer

Summer is officially here! Tonight we were sitting on the front porch, talking with Barb, our neighbor, and just after dark I heard it--the raspy, sandpaper-on-bark, slightly whiskey-voiced call of a tree frog (or tree toad, some call them) in one of the oaks to the south of us. The summer croaking of tree toads brings back memories of my childhood, of summer camp, of Ozarks vacations. When we moved to this house six years ago in July we were delighted to hear these creatures calling in the night. Usually they start 'hollering' around the first week of July in these parts, so once again, Nature is keeping pretty good time.