Ok! Hmmm, where to start?? Well, I'll admit I have enjoyed the anonymity of just being “Grif.” You don’t have too many opportunities to be judged solely by your words or actions and not by age, looks, education, or any of the many other factors which influence people’s opinions. But I guess I should stop hiding behind a screen name. :-P

To start with, as a few of you know, there are actually two people behind “Grif The Great.” Me (Colleen) and my husband (Jerrod). When I signed up for the forum last July, I wasn’t sure if I’d be sticking around (Yeah, I know some of you are chuckling at that!) so I just put my frog’s name as my screen name. Well, as you know, this site is almost as addicting as frogs themselves! I started logging on almost every day; so did Jerrod. Only instead of getting his own screen name, he just bogarted mine. :-P It seemed kind of awkward to put our real names up there after being “Grif” for so many months. We both spend a lot of time on here (obviously). Many of our posts are a collaborative effort. (SOMEONE is a backseat typer!! LOL!) Herpetology is a hobby that we share; so is this forum.

As far as background goes… Well, I am originally from Maine. I grew up in Maine and New Hampshire. My Dad grew up in Pittsburg and then moved to Maine in junior high. My Mom is from Wisconsin. My parents were both in the army and were stationed overseas. They met and married while they were both stationed in Germany (where my mother’s family is originally from). They moved back to the states when my sister was born, eventually moving back to Maine, where I was born. Growing up I never lived more than ten minutes away from the ocean and an hour or two from the mountains. My family is all outdoor people. We went camping and hiking almost every weekend. I learned all about nature, wildlife, survival stuff, etc. My parents encouraged my sister and I to spend every possible moment outdoors, for which I am very grateful! I am a very active person. The only time I’m still is when I am reading. I am a total bookworm and will read almost anything. My favorites are books about travel and historical fiction. I have been dancing since I was four, mostly Ballet, but I am trained in several other forms of dance. I also have a blackbelt in Taekwondo. I love pretty much any activity that is outdoors, particularly if it involves snow or water. I love kayaking, sailing, skiing, swimming, and hiking. My other hobby is art. I love to draw, paint, and take pictures; but I don’t pretend to be any more than amateur at any of them. :-) Oh, maybe I should mention that I was homeschooled.

When I was in highschool, my family moved to Ohio- adding one more piece to my strange accent, Haha! I ended up going to college here and marrying a local guy ;-)
As far as Jerrod’s background… well, he told me to write what I wanted. Hahahaa. First off, he is a Christmas baby, born on December 25th. (Fun fact, our birthdays are exactly six months apart!) He really gets short changed in the birthday department, poor thing. :-( He has lived in the Cincinnati area his whole life. He has one older brother, a niece and two nephews. Jerrod has a real affinity with animals. I never seen an animal that didn’t immediately warm to him, even wild animals do. His dad always says that he can make a pet out anything, which he does! Growing up, his pets included a rooster, goats, a bull, and a raccoon. He loves being out of doors, hiking, and nature watching. He also keeps carnivorous plants and has flytraps, pitcher plants, and a sundew. He likes history. His other hobbies include blacksmithing and playing Xbox.

We have been together for almost four years. We married on March 3rd, 2012. We now have three Cranwelli frogs. Those are our only pets right now. Sadly, my dog Tucker passed away in September. :-( He was thirteen and had a good, long life. He was the only dog I have ever had though and his passing has left a big whole in my heart. So for now we just have amphibians. :-) Herpetology is a big part of our lives now. It is something very enriching that we can do together. We consider our frogs to be very much a part of our family! We both try to help as many frogs (and their keepers) as we can. Neither of us is an expert, by an means, but we learn as much as we can and try to share that knowledge. It may seem silly, but I feel like we make at least a little difference in the world. :-)
Well, I guess that is all. Thank you if you actually read this behemoth of a post!! Lol