Amphibian alert
Something slinky crosses the road ahead. But at this time of year? The special signs haven't even gone up yet. But it's not hopping and it's too small to be a toad, too long to be a frog. It's walking a bit weirdly and then picks up speed as my car gets closer. It's a bit like a weasel but it isn't. It's shiny and it's tiny. And then the punchlines of several jokes come into my head just as I am about to almost run the tiny thing over. It gets faster the closer I get. But it's not tiny, it's minute. Lordy, lordy, that's it. A newt. I drive past, wincing as I go over the spot. I look in my rear view mirror. Nothing. It's reached the safety of the other side of the road. Newt's first law of motion: when you see a car approaching, leg it quick. That's about it. Love Maddie x 'Oh please don