Frog Applause by Teresa Burritt for March 09, 2025

“Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead.”- Oscar Wilde

When I was first learning to read, I came upon the word ‘extraordinary’ and thought it meant ‘extra ordinary’. ‘Twas a puzzlement.

Ne plus ultra, or, the acme of apotheosis. New horizons in getting high.

Frog opted for an indirect approach. Rather than hire an air boat across the swamp to the big lake, he traveled down the coast a bit and approached Frogsbane from an entirely different direction. Creeping, turtle-like, through a tightly regimented array of an invasive species of conifer, meant to be used in the assault on Froglandia, many years ago, he pondered the mission’s purpose. Falconry was an important sport in Froglandia, naturally. But the real prize was the falcon itself. It was a Froglandian woodchuck falcon. A recent episode with engineered bird viruses from Frogsbane had reduced their population to dangerously low levels. Intelligence indicated that this bird had a natural immunity, and barely reacted to the virus. Bringing the bird back to Froglandia would help secure the survival of the species. It was fortunate that the bird’s partner had been intending for some time to emigrate to Froglandia, prior to the current restrictions on leaving Frogsbane, which had become a prison for its population. Intelligence had been able to contact this person and arrange their passage to liberty. But the journey was not without dangers. Thus, Lame Frog had been assigned to the job.

Garden variety.

turtle hiding from the trees?

That doesn’t mean they won’t make you laugh.

And never give anyone a moment of your love if they treat you badly.

…I am ordinary…

…No one is as boring as me…

…seriously…

…I am extraordinary ordinary…

…the invisible man…

…my mantra?…

…I have died a thousand deaths…

…I am sitting on a fence…

…I am lukewarm water…

…yeah…

…and soon I’ll be trading in one Groundhog Day…

…for a less active one…

…where days, weeks and seasons will blend to gray/grey…

…a reed blowing in the wind…

…which means…

…it ain’t me…

…I am nothing but the conduit…

…the ink in the pen…

…a ancient medium…

…no pun intended…

…in this age where magic is medicine…

…and medicine is art…

Especially not a plain boy.

I love this strip!

Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go. – Oscar Wilde

My favorite Wilde quote: “I can resist anything but temptation.”

That extraordinary turtle may be looking for love in all the wrong copses.

So that’s where the Wilde things are …!!

( who gnu? )

Turtle is waiting to give an extraordinary greeting to their true love.

But slowly, since… turtle.

You may not know when it will happen. You may not know where. How? Pfffffft! You may love it. You may hate it. It may give you a rash. It may give you lustrous locks. You may warn the youth to run away. You may try and lure it with delectable snacks and sweet cooing. It’s siren song may make your ears bleed. You may be singing its funky hook all night long. Turtle is outside of knowable time, but you will make no mistake when delivered to your threshold, Turtle Surprise!

Question: what is a Vever?