He jumped...I jumped.

A toad, that is. He sat on the sidewalk 3 nights ago as I was walking back into my apartment...a pretty little green guy...a bit lumpy and bumpy, but altogether perfectly toad-like.

It brought back a flood of memories from when I went toad and salamander hunting in the basement window wells at my neighbor's house across the street - we'd fish them out (I was so young I'd only hold the little ones; the big ones scared me) but we'd collect them, then create elaborate sand castles in the sandbox with moats and tunnels, and then let our plastic-sandbucket captives loose on their newly created mansion. Of course, with the constant stream of water pooling into the box from the hose, our creations never lasted long, but it did give me this urge (still) to try to catch a toad every time I see one. :)

Well, he was waiting again for me the next night, and still jumped away. And again, last night he sat - precariously positioned on the concrete sidewalk where unassuming passersby might squish him, but still warily right next to the grass just in case he needs to flee into it's thickness for safety.

It was at that point when my mind shifted from my window-well escapades to the story of the toad and the princess. And I couldn't help it...my mind immediately thought..."What would happen if I kiss it?" and then, of course, directly to..."IMPOSSIBLE!" Haha, I didn't kiss it...gross. Really? You thought I actually would? Now that's just nasty. But the thought of it turning into my very own handsome prince *did* have some sort of magical pull on my girly heart.

I forgot about the miniature series of events until I was attempting to catch up on my news this morning...and found this picture. Maybe some people don't think it's so wierd, afterall. But I couldn't help but laugh. This is an actual frog marriage, done by

Villagers in a Madhyaboragari village, east of eastern Indian city of Siliguri July 19, 2009.

According to online news sources, in the Hindu religion, marrying off two frogs can help bring the needed monsoon rains by pleasing the god Devata. The bride frog is named Bijuli, which means 'Thunder', and groom frog is called Barun, or 'Wind.' Guests in the thousands will arrive for the wedding.

Hm. I'll take a wedding with less than a thousands guests, and if it rains, well, it rains.

oh... and frogs need not apply.