Mourning the Passing of an Innocent, Part Two

(This is the second installment of a 2-part blog. The first installment was released yesterday.)

Dear Fellow Earthlings,

My mourning continues. It has now been around 48 hours since I inadvertently ended the life of one of the rough-skinned newts that call Reltonia home. To some people, the fact that the rough-skinned newt contains a poison (known as tetrodotoxin -- the same poison that can be found in the pufferfish) makes it something to fear rather than to love. You see, this little critter's penchant for survival trades speed and power for the chemical protection afforded by the poison in its body. I can tell you first hand (no pun intended) that it is okay to handle a rough-skinned newt -- but that you should always wash your hands thoroughly after doing so. Tetrodotoxin is not absorbed through the skin, you see. Never, ever put one of these creatures in your mouth or give one an affectionate kiss. It is on record that in July 1979 a young man here in Oregon ingested a rough-skinned newt on a dare -- and was dead from its poison within a few hours. At any rate, Reltonia is supposed to be the safest place possible for the rough-skinned newt. This why I am lament so much and grieving so deeply the loss of one very healthy, beautiful newt. In the second picture of today's installment the newt I had been holding only moments earlier (Take another look at yesterday's installment's 3rd picture.) can be seen heading back to his refuge,his world (the pond whose overflow area I had been reinforcing). May that newt and all of the other newts in the pond have a Happy New Year and a fruitful 2017!

Steve Walker Earthsaver and Jingles Creator

Here you can see the overflow pipe, butting up against the soaked hay bales used for reducing erosion as excess water leaves the cresting pond, heading downhill. The overflow area reflects the trees, while the pond itself begins just above the bases of the upside down, reflected trees.

Here is the newt you saw me holding in a picture in yesterday's installment. It is heading straight for the pond -- and is within 20 centimeters of reaching it.

After returning to my house (and looking east), I took this picture, which shows the pond and its overflow area. I just wonder how many newts are in that pond at this moment!

© 2013 Steve Walker, The Jingles-The Japan Foundation for English Pronunciation, Summit Enterprises.