The Evening Chorus

From the field note

As daylight faded, another resident emerged. Not from the sky like the ducks. Not from the grass like the rabbit. Not from the water like the turtle. But from the ground itself. The toad moved quietly across the concrete, carrying the colors of the soil on its back as though the earth had briefly decided to walk. For a ranch recovering from rain, it felt like another small sign that life was stirring everywhere. —HTR