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How to set up for catching large fish on the river. This has been my system for the past decade and has made throw lines and night fishing easy, inexpensive, and effective.

Note: Make sure that you follw all state andfederal regulations. Tags may be necessary and these need to be attended to regularly. Finding drop lines that have been unatttended or abandoned is a horrible offense to the river. Responsible and respectful fishing, always.

These are berries from a Desert Hackberry bush (Celtis pallida), one of many that I come across on my walks. The berries are small, orange and semi-sweet containing a few usually stomachable seeds within. An easy fruit to identify and collect if in need of food in the wild.

Desert hackberry is an extremely drought tolerant, spiny, sprawling shrub native to South Texas and the Chihuahuan desert. Its stout thorns, dense branches, and sweet, edible, small orange berries in the fall make it extremely valuable for wildlife food and cover. It is also useful for erosion control, and because of its dense habit it could be useful as a screen, background or informal hedge. The small, inch-long, oval leaves are evergreen to 20 degrees F, and its smooth, gray branches grow in a zigzag pattern. Desert hackberry grows best in full sun and can tolerate varied soils, as long as they are well-drained. Cactus wrens, green jays, coyotes, jackrabbits and many other birds and mammals love the tasty fruit, and white-tailed deer browse the stems and foliage. It is a host to butterfly larvae and is good honey plant as well.

My little one loves to play the budding photographer so we decided to make her this cute play camera made from household recyclable materials.

What you will need:
Rectangle cardboard box
Paint
Glue
Scissors
Ribbon
Plastic lids
Double stick tape
Foam

First, paint the cardboard box and let dry.
Glue on the large lid to make the camera lens.
For the shutter button, we used a plastic chip and a small grey lid. But it’s up to you what you want to use. Glue the lid and chip together.
Cut out a small foam rectangle for the viewfinder and glue it on the box.
When the shutter button glue has set, glue it on the top of the box.
Once all the glue has dried, add the ribbon strap to the camera.
Affix the double-sided tape, on the bottom of the box and stick the ribbon to the tape.
Add the tape to both sides of the box and stick the ribbon onto the tape.

Now your cute little camera is ready for play!
This activity is a great way of turning household materials into something your child can make and play with.