City Girl Goes Frogging

City Girl Goes Frogging

My ex-husband was raised in the country, so being a city girl I had to make a few adjustments. Fishing, hunting, camping, and finally frogging were added to my list of newly learned activities.

When Wes asked me to go frogging I was a little dubious, but wanting to fit in with his family I reluctantly agreed. The night was warm and the water calm on the lake. As we skimmed along quietly, I was thinking "this isn't so bad". Then they skewered the first frog. I was elected to string them on a wire, but when I was handed the first victim, I didn't know how to manage this simple task. After my brother-in-law quickly demonstrated, I was left to myself. It all seemed easy enough until the second one came aboard. I followed my directions, putting the wire though the frogs bottom jaw, but this one didn't want to cooperate. As soon as I let it go it began jumping up and down, still attached to the wire, somewhat like a pogo stick, while I quietly had a heart attack. Only after scaring half the frog population into hiding, and almost falling out of the boat, did I finally get my "jumper" under control.

By the time I got the hang of it I was covered in frog slime up to my arm pits and wondering if I had lost my mind. Uncle Tim kept saying how good frog legs taste, while Sam described in great detail how they jump in the pan when you cook them. I truly believed I would never be able to eat again, let alone "jumping" fried frog legs.

When we were through we had thirty-nine frogs and the guys finally brought their weary city girl home. The subject of cleaning our catch came up, but I stubbornly marched into a hot shower and warm bed. I refused to go any further to win my good little trooper badge.

Uncle Tim wisely waited a few days before frying up the legs and I have to admit they were pretty good. In fact, now that it's all behind me, it wasn't all that bad. I consider it an interesting experience and I may even go frogging again some day, but next time I row the boat!