Dainty Divas

Today was a day off work, managed to have a busy and productive day but still be home early enough to grab the camera and get a few pictures as the sunset added a little fire to this pretty little island.  Speaking of which, setting fire to things may be a theme of the evening.  Firstly, I find myself in the kitchen, which is always a fire risk.  Secondly, my goal was to make dinner around the gift of one teeny tiny little red pepper that travelled all the way from Teneriffe to my kitchen.  It is a haberno pepper, which is good, i like hot, and thought it would be best sauteed with some onions and made into a healthy turkey chili as seasoning.  I am one of those people who needs to test a hypothesis before i believe in a fact.  And so, despite being told this little Teneriffe pepper was hot, i felt the need to put the tiniest diced piece into my mouth.  6 ice cubes later my mouth was still on fire.  My nose is on fire.  My hands actually feel like they are burning still.  I don't expect the taste buds will grow back in time to taste the chili tomorrow.

another beautiful sunset on this beautiful isle
 

So there is little left to do, but blog with my burning hands, and listen to some of my favorite sounds to finish off my day off.  I have referenced it before, but my favorite songs are those that cause a stirring in the soul.  Beyonce, Mariah, and Celine can take a backseat...my favorite divas are the tiny singing tree frogs in Bermuda.  There is nothing more peaceful than sitting at dusk on a patio and listening to chirps of these little frogs.  I was enchanted by them when i first visited the island, and longed to hear them again once I was back in Canada.  When i finally moved to Bermuda, shattered from the loss of my niece Jaycena, it was the tree frogs in the quiet night that lulled my soul into a soothing peace that afforded sleep for a few hours.  Night after night, the tree frogs are there, weaving their songs into my memories of Bermuda, late conversations with friends, and quiet nights of reflection.  Alone, one whistling frog may sound a single note...together, they make a symphony.  To better understand how they sound, I am grabbing some a youtube video to help you out.  This shows how loud they actually are!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk83g9y4-80

When most people think of tree frogs, they picture the adorable bright green and red eyed frog more commonly found in Costa Rica.  The Bermuda tree frog is very tiny and less flamboyant, and while their sound is ubiquitous in Bermuda, you are quite lucky to see one.  That is partially because they are so small, and partially because they are only out singing in the night -- quite hard to find a tiny brown frog in the dark.    So how small are they?  I was lucky enough to have my camera on me the other night when I scooted home and saw one on my door (which explains why the panthers have been frantically running head first into the door lately). 

See it?

Isn't it sweet?

 

You can see how easy it is to miss them at this size.  Most people find it hard to believe that something so little can make so much noise.  Wait til one hops into your air conditioning unit and starts using that as an amplifier at 3am....  Even so, it is hard to get mad at they dainty divas.

It should be said that the whistling frog is not actually native to Bermuda...it is actually thought to have hitchhiked its way here from the lesser Antilles and settled into the high humidity environment here that it so enjoys.  The whistling frog only sings when it is warm -- if the night is absent of tree frogs, you can be sure that the temperature has dropped to below 20 C and the little fellas have retreated from the trees and into the ground for some warmth.  Sad are the winter months, for when Bermuda is too cold for tree frogs it is also too cold for me.  I then require leggings under dresses, socks at home, and jackets...yuk!  Fortunately winter arrives after Christmas here so have a couple of good months left.

I am now off to have a bevvy and listen to my frogs while I can.  Good night world.