Froggy Hollow

One morning last week we set off on a new kind of adventure, perhaps spawned by the idea that all the mosquito larvae in our pond (read:manky old bath with murky water and a couple of sad aquatic plants doing their best to survive, infested with mosquito larvae, sunk into orchard paddock) needed a predator.

Romantically, I thought some frogs might be just the thing and everyone indulged me. So off we set with buckets and nets in our gumboots for a lovely pond setting over the road, on Alexander's land.
I have to say it was so much more than I expected, even though we did come home empty-handed, not a tadpole or the tiniest bit of spawn in sight.
As we descended through willows and meadow flora we found ourselves in a kind of otherworldly grotto - it was beautiful - I felt like I was in a film set. The light was soft and dappled, time felt like it was slowing down, it felt warmer, louder and quieter, if you know what I mean and it was as if we'd entered someone else's house and they weren't home. Indeed we had - this wasn't a human habitat. It was pure froggy hollow swampland and even the very surface of the earth here was trying to grab and hold onto us.
When we finally adjusted and stood still and quietly enough, we heard what I'd only dreamt I might hear...the unabashed ribbitting of a couple of frogs mid-courtship (we think! and hope!)! This was very exciting...maybe we will get to have some tadpoles for our pond...?
After listening in awe for quite some time and it was a stretch with a couple of youngsters who really thought the whole gumboot stuck in the mud thing was the best thing in a long time, we dragged ourselves out of this bewitching cave...to return another day.
It made me think about our "pond", though - it really does need an upgrade to be even a slight patch on the incredible natural habitat of those frogs - and I'd really like to be able to help the frog population along...so now I'm thinking...any ideas welcome, please!