Thursday, January 24, 2008

Forget about Frogs…Kiss a Coqui!

KJ Howe reporting in from Puerto Rico…and after discerning the Spanish instructions, here we go!
Remember that old adage about kissing a lot of frogs to meet your Prince? Why not increase your chances of meeting the right guy by kissing a unique amphibian? No offence meant to Kermit and other frogs, but hey, a girl has to be choosy!

Some of you might wonder what I’m talking about. A Coqui (ko-kee) is a Puerto Rican tree frog that measures about one inch long (remember ladies, size doesn’t matter). Coquies can be green, brown, yellowish (but never yellow-bellied), because they are translucent. And, like most men, they can be heard from far away. Yes, that’s their distinguishing feature—male coquies sing from dusk to dawn (non-stop!) in a melodious serenade that sounds like ko-kee (hence the name).

When there is light from street lamps or the moon, coquies are less active, so to find copious numbers, head straight for desolated areas and the mountains (think mountain men!). The sad part is that these romantic amphibians are an endangered species due to deforestation. They reproduce all year round, but the active times occur during the wet season—what better way to spend time when the rain is falling???

Okay, have I convinced you to stop kissing frogs and turn to coquies instead? After all, aren’t all romantic heroes coquies in disguise? These males serenade without being asked, they live in a warm climate, they stay up all night, and they are translucent (so you actually know what they are thinking). Isn’t that what it’s all about? Mavericks, renegades, and swashbucklers. Romantic heroes should be unique, men who stand out from the crowd—an endangered species, to be sure!

Have you kissed a lot of frogs? Have you kissed a coqui? If so, any advice on how to tell the difference?

43 comments:

Gillian Layne said...

Yes?

Christie Kelley said...

Oh man, I thought today I might just grab that GR!

Congrats, Gillian.

Gillian Layne said...

Ha! It's good to be late for work....

This post made me grin. So educational this early in the morning! Poor little Coqui's, singing their hearts out.

I am a strong believer in the kiss. I always wondered what on earth the big fuss was until my husband kissed me. I swear I could hear angels sing. (And devils as well ;) )

When we both headed off for college we decided to date around, because 18 was too early to make a lifetime commitment. (And it is! Are you listening, my can't-hear-Mom-talking-girls?) So I dated a whole pond full of frogs--and every kiss was just as slimy as the one before. Yuck!

He said, "I miss you", I said, "That about sums it up." He graduated, got a job, and we married. And his kisses still curl my toes, twenty years later. The big sweetie, he would die if he knew I was typing this...

Gillian Layne said...

Thanks, Christie. It's a total fluke, and the rooster will be snuggled under a comforter while I'm a work today. It's only 5 degrees here now, with a negative 5 wind chill.

Now I need to go lock up the wine...

Caren Crane said...

KJ, I adore the coqui! When the dh, my girls and I were in Switzerland at the WAGGGS world center, Our Chalet, we were introduced to the coqui.

One of the Girl Scout troops there was from Puerto Rico. On International Night, they presented lots of information (along with helpful brochures from the Tourism Dept *g*), tons of gorgeous picture, performed a traditional dance (with all the girls in bright , whirling skirts) and presented everyone with a coqui pin.

I have my coqui pin upstairs (along with the tourist info). It makes me miss my Puerto Rican Girl Scout friends!

Caren Crane said...

Oh, and congrats Gillian, on the GR and finding your coqui right away. *g*

I am of the firm opinion that the coqui is far more attractive and charming (not to mention hardworking) than the run-of-the-mill frog. Having kissed far more frogs than I would ever admit to my mother, I was glad to find my coqui and marry him.

Of course, it took a while before I decided he really was a lifetime coqui, but I am cautious with my heart. *g*

Beth Andrews said...

Congrats on grabbing the GR, Gillian!

KJ, I haven't kissed any Frogs or Coquis lately, but I did just kiss my very own prince *g*

Gillian, what a great story!

doglady said...

YAY!! The Passion's Slaves had nabbed the GR! Go, Gillian! And ladies she really is this gushy about the DH. He always sounds like such a doll! I actually have a little carved coqui that my brother brought back from a trip to Puerto Rico for me. I did my fair share of frog kissing before I met my handsome prince. I only get to kiss him in my dreams now, but trust me, he was prince enough for a lifetime.

Tracy Garrett said...

Hi Banditas!

KJ - I'm envious. You're in Puerto Rico--land of salt water, rum and sand in your swimsuit.

I'm thinking a Coqui serenading all night has to be better than crowing cocks--er, roosters, in West End, Tortola, British Virgin Islands. Never can sleep through that racket.

Tracy G.
www.tracygarrett.com

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Go Gillian! Grab that GR from that wooster nappwer, Tawny. Grins. Ha! Glad to know he'll be safe and warm. And yes, do lock up that wine!

Hi Kim! *Waving madly* So glad to know you're enjoying PR! I've never been, but I've heard it's gawgeous. We've missed you in the Lair and can't wait to hear about all your adventures!

Now frogs...ugh. I've kissed waaaaaay too many of them in my short life. My coqui/prince kisses so well and has that wonderful translucent quality too. Grins.

Oh, Doglady, that's so sweet. At least you have the memory of great Prince-kisses! I'm telling you, the wait for mine and the frogs in between nearly gave me a one-way-ticket to the Pit of Despair. Ha!

Anna Sugden said...

KJ!! Hope you're having a fab time in Puerto Rico. I'm envious of the warm weather - snow is forecast today. Boy, I thought Aunty Cindy and I were the ones who traveled a lot!

Hope you don't mind but I found this really cute pic of a coqui and added it to your post so we can all admire him.

I'm like Gillian - a strong believer in the kiss. I kissed some frogs and even the odd toad. The first time I kissed my hubby - oh yes to the angels and devils. And even fireworks.

I remember afterwards thinking of the Cary Grant/Grace Kelly film To Catch a Thief where they used fireworks to represent what was really going on behind that bedroom door ;).

Oh, and my hubby would die too *grin*.

Congrats Gillian on the GR and the hubby

p226 said...

ribbit

Trish Milburn said...

What a cute little frog.

I too am jealous of KJ's current locale. I'm fairly sure I've mentioned I REALLY DON'T LIKE cold weather.

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

GOOD MORNING to all my little froggies and coquis! Way to GO on the GR, Gillian!

Yes, Aunty is back from the Continent and WISHING I was in warm and sunny Puerto Rico. Yes, Jeanne it IS that gorgeous. I happen to have a piccie of Forteleza that I may add to your blog later KJ. If the jet-lag will allow. :-P

I'd rather not discuss all the frogs my lips have touched... WAAAY too early in the morning for that! But do not let me discourage those of you who have not found your own coqui just yet. S/he IS out there, so PUCKER UP!

AC

Terri Osburn said...

Congrats on the GR, Gillian!

Nothing but frogs in my history. Oh, the sorrow and the slime. It's enough to make a girl give up, I tell you.

I actually have a strong distaste for the real things but I'd love to hear those coquie sing. Sounds beautiful. And having to travel to PR to hear them sounds perfectly fine with me. *g*

Buffie said...

Great post today!!!

I am one of those gals who haven't kissed very many frogs. My dh was only the 4th guy I ever kissed. And that was right after my 16th birthday (which was a few years ago). The first one was definitely a frog, the second one was a badboy frog - he smoked, and the third one was a great kissing frog! But after 17 years of marriage and being together a total of 21 years, the dh's kisses can still make me light-headed and feel dreamy. It still works!

Cassondra said...

Trish said:

too am jealous of KJ's current locale. I'm fairly sure I've mentioned I REALLY DON'T LIKE cold weather.

Oh, me too, Trish. Used to be, I didn't mind it. As I get older I like it less....I want you, at the next board meeting, to move that all future national conferences be held 1) In winter and 2) someplace tropical and wonderful...they'll sell out in ten minutes and have to expand....all people like me, who are FREEZING.

There. A constituent has spoken. (grin)

KJ, what a cutie. I love toads and little frogs. There's a pond near my house and one of the things I wait for each spring, along with the cracking of the ground where the flower bulbs are starting to break through the surface, is the first frog. Once I hear that first call, I know warm weather is on its way.

Not even gonna talk about the frogs I've kissed...not goin there. Ew.

Congrats gillian on the golden rooster! Take good care of him now, he works hard, but he's a spoiled bird.

Kim Castillo said...

Okay, but the real question is; if you kiss a Coqui will you get a wart? ;)

Like Buffie, this ole girls only kissed a couple real-life boys. Do my dreams about George Clooney count?

jo robertson said...

Gillian, you go girl!!! Congrats. What a clever post, KJ, waving to you in PR!

Oh man, have I ever kissed a lot of frogs, and sooo many of them were bad kissers, very bad.

That's probably why I married my husband. He's a great kisser, just the right blend of moist and dry, you know what I mean?

Then, when my sister was in nursing school she told me that there were more germs in your mouth than on your bottom. Talk about a mood killer! But I got over that fast, hee hee, because after all, who worries about germs when you're having so much fun?

Kate Carlisle said...

Hey, KJ! Add me to the list of jealous banditas -- I love Puerto Rico! The history, the beautiful water, the casinos, the food, the rum. Yum! Hope you're having a ball!

And what a cute little froggie! I wish I'd met my very own coqui before I kissed all those other slimy creatures. Well, and married a few, too. But that's me, a girl who can't even say NO to a frog. LOL

Caren Crane said...

Aunty Cindy, we are SO GLAD you are back with us! We have missed you desperately, as you well know. Thank you for the gorgeous picture from Puerto Rico. Why am I not surprised your many, many travels have taken you there? *g*

Caren Crane said...

Terrio, keep puckering up, babe! Sometimes the coqui doesn't show up until WAY into the game. I have known people who never married until they were into their 50s or 60s - and had perfectly wonderful marriages! Even if marriage isn't in the cards, there is much to be said for a beloved companion. Keep the faith!

Anna Campbell said...

Gillian! Congratulations! You haven't had him for a while an you're so nice, he'll be delighted to visit!

Kim, lovely post. You go to the most interesting places, Bandita! And I'd never heard of a coqui. I've just come back from visiting some friends in Noosa which is a subtropical paradise right on the seafront. There was a striped marsh frog in the pond outside my window (so I was told - believe me a frog is a frog is a frog to me!). He went 'plok'. He went 'plok' all night every night. So I returned from the subtropical paradise with rainforest size bags under my eyes. I can't work out how something that small could make THAT MUCH BLOOMIN' NOISE!!! I hope he got lucky after all that work. I suspect he didn't because surely he wouldn't go plok when he made beautiful music with a lady frog!

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, Aunty Cindy, welcome back! We missed you and your rapier wit, my Bandita Queen!

Anna Sugden said...

Kate, I married a frog too, the first time around.

Foanna - I'm feeling sorry for the poor frog going plok all on his lonesome. I hope there was a lady frog who found his plokking very sexy.

Joan said...

One of the first guys I kissed reminded me of a frog....BAD,BAD,BAD attempt at a French kiss....

Bad.

And with all that tongue action, he still didn't catch any flies :-)

Terri Osburn said...

Caren - I'm sure that is supposed to make me feel better, but it doesn't. LOL! And I did marry a frog in the past. Not proud of it. At. All. But I got a fantastic little tadpole out of so I try not to complain. Too much. *g*

Sorry to hear about the plokking, Anna. Hope you can get some plok free sleep soon.

Anna Campbell said...

Actually, it was a moment when a HUNGRY GR would have come in very handy. Actually, I don't mean that. I'm very fond of frogs. We have beautiful green tree frogs here. They're the most gorgeous colour you've ever seen. But he's been trained only to croak when it rains. Mind you, now I think of Mr Plokker, it was raining when he was plokking too.

Helen said...

Congrats Gillian on the GR he is sure to be cosy at your place today.
Welcome back Aunty Cindy we have missed you.
Kissing frogs eh love the post I kissed a couple before I found my prince and have been married to him for 31 years this year and yes after his first kiss I knew he was the one I was going to marry not sure what it was just a gut feeling but was very sure.
Have Fun
Helen

Caren Crane said...

Oh, Helen, you mean the nauseating feeling that sort of feels like doom but you later determine was actually destiny? *g* Yes, I know that feeling. I fought it long and hard, believe me! I made a very good single, I do believe, but now I love being married. Who knew?

Terrio, I got a tadpole too! But I didn't marry that frog, just kissed his warty nose bye-bye. *g*

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Kim, I always learn something new about another part of the world when you post. Okay, you're posting from all over the world, but I do learn the most interesting stuff!

I've kissed a few frogs in my life, but after 27 years of marriage I'd say I pretty much found my Coqui and kissed him plenty.

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

Okay, I wasn't going to bring up the Ex, but Kate started it. He was The. WORST. Kisser. EVER. More like a vaccum cleaner than a frog. ICK! I know, I know... that should have tipped me off, but we all get to be young and dumb at least once. :-P

And I REALLY MISSED everyone in the Lair! But are you sure it was my rapier wit you missed? Or was it my CAPITAL letters and my exclamation marks?!?!?!

AC the jet-lagged

jo robertson said...

It was the crop, AC, the crop was what we missed :-D.

P226, ribbit???!!! That's your response to the earth-shattering discussion of kissing. Come on, give us a man's perspective.

Do they just do the bomb-dive or more like the military crawl, search and destroy?

Jane said...

I've never kissed a frog or a coqui. Am I missing out on something great?

doglady said...

Evening, ladies! I concur, p226! Please elaborate from the male point of view for our edification! Actually we just want some good dirt - so cough it up!

My brother told me that if I kissed my little carved coqui and made a wish it would come true. My coqui is a bit slow. I STILL don't look like Keira Knightley, my bank account is holding steady at 27 cents and my 25 year old Bronco is STILL my only means of transportation!

Caren Crane said...

Oh, Jane, surely you have kissed some froggy little men in your lifetime. No? Odious boys who believe they are men? Not so much? Did you find Prince Charming (aka "Coqui") your first time out or are you still waiting for your first time out? Inquiring Banditas want to know!

Caren Crane said...

AC, I missed the capital letters AND the exclamation marks!!! I tried BUT I am nowhere NEAR as proficient as YOU!! *eg*

Caren Crane said...

Doglady, if you have a 250year0old bronco, no wonder you have 27 cents in your bank account! Trish has just informed us at RNTV that gas is about $800 a gallon. They must pay you very at a certain ginormous retailer. Either that, or you jog to work. In which case, you may look like Keira Knightley sooner than you think! The coqui works in mysterious ways...

Caren Crane said...

Uh, that was 25-year-old and very well. Sheesh, I need a new keyboard. Where is my coqui pin?

Christine Wells said...

You know what I think? Forget the frogs. Men don't change. Kiss a prince instead:)

Madame the Cynic (at least today)

Gillian Layne said...

Well, I've bathed and fed the little sweetie, and tried to remove some of the glitter my youngest thought he needed.

He's avoided the wine today, and instead had a fine time with Kool-Aid and popcorn. He turned up his nose at an Oreo, however. I'm thinking this must be a Tim-Tam thing?

I've already kissed him goodbye, cause I'll be sleeping so soundly tonight I know I'll never hear him leave...He's going to come visit me again soon, however. My parents have guinea hens on their farm, and he's had fun corrupting them with his jet-setting, international playboy ways :)

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