Setting up a Tarp and Searching for Salamanders

While I was working on homework my brother was setting up homemade tarp by adding para-cord to the corners and two of the ends. I went down to help him figuring that it would be a good break and I could also brush up on some skills. The tarp was 12 by 16 feet and we cut the para-cord so it would be ten feet long and we secured the para-cord to the tarp via bowl-line knot. As we moved it to Cameron’s sector it started to rain a little but about ten seconds later it really started pouring so Cameron went inside to get raincoats while I stood under the tarp. He came back, I put my raincoat on, and we strung up the tarp. Setting up the tarp was a little tricky because the tarp was heavy so I had to support the middle of the tarp. We got some logs and rocks from the area and the tarp was good to go. After this, I decided to go looking for a salamander. When I was little and hiked by the creek I always remember going downstream because if you went upstream you would into the power lines. However, I was not hiking but looking under rocks for salamanders so I decided to go upstream. While I was walking, I spooked a frog, which jumped into the creek. Throughout the day, I saw frogs jump into the creek because I scared them and when I cut the lawn I see small toads. This time I saw where the frog jumped under so I lifted up some rockers and there it was. I was expecting something much smaller but this frog was probably two inches long and one inch wide. I was trying to take a picture but because of the way I was positioned I could not get my phone with ease without spooking the frog. I eventually got my phone out of my pocket and took a picture of it. I saw a small somewhat unfinished spider web and left the frog to take a picture of the web. The web was somewhat unfinished and the webbing was so thin that the picture did not come out very good. when I moved back to the frog it got spooked again and hopped away under and eroded area so I did not see it again. I continued looking and a couple minutes later I saw something moving in the water. It was not a salamander but a small crayfish I could not get my phone out of my pocket so Cameron took the photo. After I set down the rock I shot backwards just a little using the primary method of escape that crayfish use. I looked for a salamander about 15 minutes longer but had no luck and went inside. I really want to find a salamander so I will defiantly be back looking for one.