Hidden Companion in 2020

Yes, I have a hidden companion now. A toad hopped into the house when a workman took a door down to replace the weatherproofing strip on the door’s bottom. I saw the toad hope in, over the workman’s leg as he knelt at the open doorway but the workman didn’t. The toad hopped directly to me and I called out, “Oh no…a toad hopped in!” but the workman was focused on the door and didn’t see it. He looked up, “Where? Where is it?’ I looked back at the workman and totally lost the toad. We went on, me looking for the toad and him working on the door.

I know where the toad was headed…but no sign of it has been evident. If frogs have turned into princes in our favorite stories, I’m wondering what a fat toad turns into. Tempted to say a Trump-like character but that would not be polite would it? So I am living now in my house, Idle Hours, with a toad. I’m hoping it wasn’t a pregnant toad.

Otherwise I’m waiting for the insurance to let me know if it will fund some of the roof replacement, not believing it will and on the other hand comparing the estimates from two well known companies. Hating to pay the cost but if I live to ninety in this house I guess I’ll be even less capable of making these decisions later. So this is the time. But in rainy season? I feel totally capable of handling this but am taking it very seriously.

The Orlando area of FL where I live still has one of the highest rates of newly confirmed corona virus 19 in the world. I take exposure really seriously, so I continue with my isolation, masks and other methods of protection.