Frank the Frog

We borrowed a child safety gate to use on our deck, and usually at night I put it either inside, or right next to the door under the overhang where it is safe from the elements.  Earlier this week it was outside, and in the morning when I went to put it up, it looked like there was a fuzzy or something sitting on top of it.  When I went to brush it away, I discovered that it was some kind of frog or toad!  While sitting on the gate, it had become the same gray color of the gate and had lost all of it's black markings, so I didn't even realize what it was until I touched it!

I had just read a book called "Frank the Frog" with the kids, so they decided to call our little friend Frank the Frog, and spent the next hour watching him.  I brushed him on to the steps, and then poked him a couple times so the kids could see him hop.  They didn't want to actually touch him, so they picked up helicopters from off the deck and used them to push the poor from around. 

After a while the black markings on his body started to show up again, and we discovered that he had yellow and black webbing on his legs.  He also had sticky feet and could climb up the side of the stairs.

After the kids chased Frank the Frog down the deck stairs they followed him all the way under the deck.  Eventually they lost interest and we went and watered flowers.  When we came back, Frank was gone!  I told them he went to find a new home.  

Three days later, we found Frank sitting on our steps again.  As soon as he saw Laurel coming, he hid.