As I was pulling away from the last light-controlled intersection in Potsdam yesterday, bound for Camp, something jumped up in front of my car. It was smaller than a bird, and wasn’t anything kicked up by another vehicle. It seemed to land somewhere on the hood close to where it meet the windshield, but I couldn’t see what it was. 10 seconds later, it jumped up again, this time landing on the little ledge of my door, just behind the driver-side mirror. It was a tree frog!!

At this point I am up to speed and doing 30 MPH.  The little guy is still hanging on.  I reach the village limits and speed up to 45, thinking he’d have enough of this and jump for it.  Nope!  He still hangs on.  With the 55 MPH sign in sight, I pull over.  The frog just sits there.  I start to lower my window and realize that’s going to squish its leg, so I open my door.  The frog jumps down.  I don’t get out of the car–I just close the door, roll up the window, and head on my way.

St. Regis Falls…Paul Smiths…Bloomingdale…Franklin Falls…Wilmington…Jay.  I stop to visit a friend.  And just as I roll to a stop and my shifter slides into Park, up from out of seemingly nowhere comes the frog!!

Where the hell was he that whole time? If reptiles are capable of experiencing fear, I can only imagine this thing was terrified!  I got out of the car and took one more picture.  Then I poked him and he jumped away.  To the ground.  And away from the car this time.  (I checked.)  So if anyone is keeping track, as of yesterday Potsdam NY is minus one tree frog, now a resident of Jay.