Storm, yes way! Frogs, no way!

It's been raining cats and dogs here in Metro Manila the past couple of days. Aside from it being the height of the rainy season, there's a typhoon that's passing through -- Typhoon Florita (or "Bilis" as she is also known). The thing is, she didn't even come close to the National Capital Region of the Philippines. Yet she was strong enough to bring on a significant amount of rain and wind. She's moving away now, though.

There's a small pool/fountain right outside our front door and it's nice to see how it has filled with rainwater since the start of the wet season. That is, until I saw something this morning that made me do a double take.

Is that what I think it is? Is it... frog spawn? Or a shelter for frog spawn? Something for frogs to put their eggs into? Something that foreshadows the appearance of tadpoles, which then eventually grow to become new frogs?!? Forgive me, animal lovers. But I fucking hate frogs. I really do. I know they're good for things like controlling the insect population and other stuff, but I still can't stand the buggers.

The only time I ever handled one was way back in biology class in high school. The group I was in had a big, ugly male frog. We even gave him a name. Conrad. You know how kids sometimes look so cute when they press their noses against a window pane to look at whatever's outside? Well, that was how Conrad looked inside his jar. The fools kept on ooh-ing and aah-ing over how adorable he looked. Yeah, right.

Class started; we took Conrad out of his jar, injected some chemical inside his head to kill his little brain, sliced his icky, slimy skin open, and marveled at the pumping little heart and the tiny breathing lungs. After class, alas! no more Conrad. Ah, such is life. Some of us get to become king/queen of the pond...but all of us croak in the end.

*****♥♥♥*****

I played a bit in the rain this morning. Wonderful feeling! The wind wasn't as strong as it was last night and it wasn't as cold either. Best of all, no lightning! But as I sit here typing this, the wind is starting to pick up again. I love this type of weather; it's ideal for drinking, sleeping, and for generally just lazing around. I'd wish for more of it...if only it didn't cause floods and landslides here in the Philippines.

Australian-born Henry Bateman, in Expat Interviews, says that the weather is one of the positive things about the Philippines. He was referring to warm weather, of course. It would be interesting to see the wet weather through Henry's photographic perspective. What do you think, Genius?