Valley Mills Progress (Valley Mills, Tex.), Vol. 23, No. 13, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 28, 2012 Page: 3 of 8
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Valley Mills Progress and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Nellie Pederson Civic Library.
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JUNE 28,2012
VALLEY MILLS PROGRESS
PAGE THREE
Canyon's Rim
By Donna Veteto
Girl Scout art project
The Girl Scout group met at the Valley Mills
Public Library on Friday to work on an art
project about animals and their habitats and
on Tuesday to make hand puppets. Above,
Ansuya Abnoussi, Pathways Coordinator of
the Girl scouts of Central Texas explains the
project to a group of 12 girls. Left, Sarah
Seamanski works on her art project. Below left,
Hudson McAdams, 18 months, picks up a
Spanish book. Below right, Karissa Schlasman
and Ruthie Murphy show off their hand
puppets. Girls can still sign up for Girl Scouts
at the library. (Photos by Donna Veteto)
■
t
1 'IlllPI? •
I've created an ecosystem in my
front yard. Actually, I've got several,
but this one is really cool.
I've been keeping a wading pool
filled with water in the front yard ever
since last summer's drought hit us and
I knew the deer would need a place
to get water.
I have kept it filled so the boys can
drink when they're out exploring and
Cocatte has a place to get water, as
well.
I'm sure just about everything that
needs a drink gets one at my little
wading pool oasis.
I've been watching as the bees have
discovered this watering hole and are
all over it all day.
There are so many bees, it looks
like the hive entrances out back. There
are literally dozens of bees at any
given time.
I didn't want to have any of the bees
drown because they couldn't get in
and out of the water, so we put in a
leveling stone and a brick so there was
a dock to drink from.
The wasps drink here too, but they
float on the surface tension of the
water and don't drown as frequently
as the bees do.
I went out the other day to check
the water level and discovered the
ecosystem.
The first thing I saw, of course,
were the many bees lined up on the
brick. They were all getting a drink
without having to go swimming.
Pretty sweet, right?
Then something jumped. I figured
it was a grasshopper.
Nope, it was a leopard frog. Right
there on the brick in the wading pool.
It jumped into the water and hid
under the leveling stone. I started to
leave it and let it come back out
without any fear of the big human
looming over it.
Then I realized that something was
swimming in the water. I figured that
would be mosquito larvae.
Well, I was right, but there were
little tadpoles swimming around, too!
I love tadpoles! We used to bring
home gelatinous frog eggs and let
them hatch in a dish pan and a big
glass jar.
I just love that they are in my little
pool! What a treat to be able to watch
them grow legs and absorb their tails.
The bees were a good enough
mm
■ *■
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1
A small leopard frog suns itself in the wading pool ecosystem at
Canyon's Rim while honey bees line up for a drink. The little
black things are small tadpoles, which share the water with nasty
mosquito larvae.
reason to keep the pool going. Well,
the deer are a good enough reason.
But having the bees in the yard is a
real treat. And now tadpoles? What a
great place that little pool is.
Rocky swims in it. Well, he doesn't
swim. He gets in and lays down to
cool off.
He just gets in and lays all the way
in the pool except for his little head.
Then, of course, he tracks mud into
the house.
But that's another discussion. The
activity at the pool is so cool, I brave
the heat just to watch it all.
Because this pool is set up in the
middle of the yard, it gets full
afternoon sun, so, we figured that the
little ecosystem would do well with
plants for the frog and tadpoles to
shade under.
Ha! Finding aquatic plants is like a
joke! So I did put a lily and a bat faced
cuphea in the pool. They aren't the
best choices, but for now, they offer
shade.
I'm on the hunt for aquatic plants
now, and when I find them, the lily
and cuphea can go in the ground.
But at least I have provided a little
shade for my science project.
Yesterday, I decided that one
ecosystem just isn't enough.
Water is getting scarce and tanks
are low, so I'm going back to the
mindset to water everything that lives
on the acres, in the woods.
I set up a second wading pool, this
one in the shade of the house, and put
a bridge and bricks in it.
Rocky christened it with a swim.
Well, a soak. He was in it for a few
minutes.
As of last night, no bees had found
the second pool. I know it takes a little
time for them to locate a source.
Now, they can have several choices
and I'm hoping another frog moves
in.
Oh, any water dweller is welcome.
I'm curious to see what makes the new
area home. Or, for that matter, what
else moves into the existing pool.
I'm excited that I have several
places the bees can drink. And the
deer.
The second pool is really close to
my bedroom window, so maybe the
deer will come up so I can see them
from there.
I'm excited that just by having
water available, I'm getting such a
show.
But for now, I'm now on the hunt
for water plants and I don't even care
what kind. Water lily s would certainly
give that frog a place to sit that isn't
as hot as a brick!
Proudly Serving the Valley Mills Area
Ran cl
Res
C.
[anch
[estoratlon
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Excavating - Grass Seeding - Brush Control
Fencing - Stock Ponds - Equip Programs
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Dump Truck & Road Work
Billy Hollingsworth (254)749-1689
703 Ave. C {254) 932-5731
Valley Mills, Texas 76689 email; billy19S2@clearwire.net
EXOTIC ■ GAME • IHBM * RANCH
BREEDER FACILITIES • ENTKFWAYS
Office; 254-032-6367 Celt 254-709-1320
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Owner: William McKain
Office (903) 641-7292 Mobile: (254)640-1720
Cummings Construction
Bulldozer & Loader Work
BUN CUMMINGS, JR.
3320 FM 217 254-945-3221
Valley Mills, Tx. 76689
Performance Propellers
New ♦ Used * Rebuilt
Aluminum • Stainless Steel • Brass
Complete Propeler and Skeg Repair
Repair • Buy * Sell • Trade
McKain Lawn
and Tree Service
254-292-3568
Bob's
225 Patton Road
Valley Mills, TX 76689
(254) 934-2290
(254) 932-5550
Shredding
Boxblade Work
Rototilling
254-945-3962 Cell: 254-749-9081
Bob McCarn
^ 1-888-FENCE44
l-E Fence Co,
VALLEY MILLS
■H—> i > »i ,1- -Si ■
Back in Valley Mills Shannon Eoff
Fencing for Every Need Owner
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254-932-6251 254-932-6480
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Rent this space
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Call 932-6450
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McAdams Welding Service
BOB LOFTIN
DOZER WORK GRASS SEEDING DRIVEWAYS
STOCK TANKS FOOD PLOTS ROADS
HOUSE PADS PASTURE SHREDDING BACKHOE WORK
LAND CLEARING SEPTIC SYSTEMS
Gary McAdams
Owner
Hard Surfacing
Heavy Equipment Repair
All Types of Welding
254-749-9329
254-722-9698
gwmc576@yahoo.com
John Armstrong Lodge #291
A.F. & A. M.
Stated Meetings
3rd Mondays 7 p.m.
Practice
Tuesdays 6 p.m.
Cowgirl At Heart Photography
Rent this space
for only $6 a week
Call 932-6450
Specializing in
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Valley Mills, Tx.
76689
254-537-2201
NOW taking
Appointments for
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Call Today for Pricing
STEPHEN FRANKLIN
Air Conditioning & Heating
254-733-7953
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Grear, Mark. Valley Mills Progress (Valley Mills, Tex.), Vol. 23, No. 13, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 28, 2012, newspaper, June 28, 2012; Valley Mills, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth757412/m1/3/?q=%22Business%2C+Economics+and+Finance+-+Journalism%22: accessed July 8, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Nellie Pederson Civic Library.