The Trod Upon Toad

After staying late at work yesterday (what else is new), I immediately made for the backyard to water the garden and the plants on the deck. As I stepped off the deck onto the grass and took a few steps towards the hose, I heard an odd “popping” noise as my foot hit the ground. After a couple more steps, I stopped, curious to see what, and went back to check.
It took a moment to discern the brown shape form the brown and toasted grass, but I quickly realized I had stepped on a toad. I buried the poor guy and felt bad that I hadn’t watched where I was walking. The last thing I expected to see out from cover on a 100+ degree day was a toad. Shouldn’t he have been hiding somewhere dark and cool during the day? I hope he had ventured out and expired in the heat long before I came along. I’d feel a little better about the whole thing if that were the case.
Moral of the story: Watch where you step in your backyard, you never know whose day you might ruin.