I was setting the deck table for lunch today and my little pal, Frodo, decided to keep me company while I worked. I placed him on a kitchen step stool for a little photo-op, and he happily obliged–and stayed in place while I snapped a dozen or so photos.

Since I’ve become so fond of him, and he’s been making an appearance on our deck each summer for at least the last five years, I decided to go online to determine what type of frog he is and how long he might live. Apparently, he’s an Eastern American toad which likes to live in swampy areas, near bodies of water, or even under an air conditioning unit (where the condensation helps keeps them wet), they hibernate in winter in underground burrows, and they can live up to 30 years.

I have no idea how old Frodo is, but hopefully he’ll continue his annual summertime visits to our deck for years to come. I think it’s about time that I bling out his favorite corner of the deck to make it more toad friendly. Wait until you see all the toad houses that are available for purchase online. The only difficulty will be deciding which house to build or purchase. I’ll probably ask for your help on that one. I’ll post a variety of options to choose from and let my readers help me pick his new home. What do you think?