Have A Hoppy Day

   Yesterday morning, I was standing in the doorway of the open backdoor in the laundry room, waiting for the dogs to stop goofing off and come when called, like well trained dogs, (Jake is, Chip isn't), and I saw this big brown thing come on in. I guess it figured it might as well, since the door was open.
   We've been having a big ugly brown bug problem, so I was all ready to go hunting for my shoes so I could step on it, when I noticed it hopped. It was a huge toad. It was probably able to fit on a nickle, with wiggle room. We normally have toads that are palm size, or bigger by the back door. Did it shrink in all of the rain we've had this year? It must really have wanted in the house because our backdoor is about 3 1/2 feet off the ground and it had to hop up the steps to get to the door.
   Could it have been a nice cooperative toad and stayed where I could have caught it, right there on the rug in front of the door? Nope! It had to hop behind a bunch of junk, uh, prized possessions.
   I finally got the well trained dogs in, and wouldn't you know it? They wanted to find the toad. It was after all, breakfast time.
   I rounded up the dogs and put them in the bedroom, and grumbled. I hadn't even had my first thing in the morning glass of chocolate milk, and now I had to clean the laundry room.
   I moved paint cans, dog food containers, and a small portable washing machine into the kitchen, since the laundry room is right off of the kitchen. There the toad was, sitting in the corner, laughing at me. I bent down to pick it up, hoping I didn't squish it, and it hopped away.
   After 2 attempts, I caught it. Who knew it was so hard to catch a huge toad in a laundry room? Of course, it couldn't be that easy. It hopped out of my hands twice, because I didn't want to hold it too tight.
   I got it outside and put it in the flower pot with my African Daisies, hoping it didn't beat me back into the house, since I left the door open to but it outside. After I was in the house, with the door closed, I noticed the toad had slimmed my hand. Who knew a tiny, (I mean huge), toad could hold so much toad slime?
   I but everything back into the laundry room neater than it was, let the dogs out of the bedroom and fed them. Jake and Chip still thought toad smelled better than dog food.
   By this time, I was having chocolate milk withdrawals. My morning was off to a hoppy start. I'm glad it was a toad that came visiting instead of a mouse or something. I still don't close the door while waiting for the dogs. Some people never learn.