We left the kids pool uncovered for a couple of days during the rainy spell we had this past week and stupidly unplugged the filter when we needed the electrical outlet for something else. In this very short time, the pool turned green with algae and frogs appeared to lay eggs--hundreds of eggs. Hundreds! We had already started draining the pool when we noticed the gooey black eggs on the surface so I quickly grabbed an empty aquarium from the garage and the kids and I saved as many of the froglets as we could. Using the pool skimmer, plastic cups, buckets, little plastic shovels, you name it, we used it to scoop them up and put them in the tank. I know we didn't save them all. There was no way that we could have. There was an insanely huge amount of tadpoles and eggs. Insane. I can tell you that we saved a lot. More than most moms with hot sweaty kids begging for their pool on a hot Alabama summer day would have done, let me tell you. The kid's sand table is now filled with water and tadpoles of various ages. The aquarium is filled with eggs and tadpoles. A couple of buckets sit nearby wih more swimming around. We worked our butts off in the sun trying to save the little guys. We felt so bad for taking their habitat away from them but what could we do? We couldn't just leave the giant pool all green and smelly. There were dead bugs floating amongst dead leaves and sticks that had blown in during the last big rain storm--and mosquito larvae growing. We cannot allow the mosquitoes to breed. And besides all that, it is in the 90's here this week and the kids want to swim. Sigh. The pool had to be reclaimed. I hope we appeased the frog gods with our efforts. We did our absolute best, scooping and netting until sundown. Now, the pool is empty and we know that some of the little guys are living in puddles that will soon evaporate or soak into the ground in the meadow that surrounds the pool by morning. We are sorry for those little guys. There were just too many to catch and they hid among the tall grasses and rocks making them impossible to see after a while.

Farewell little froggies. We apologize for being reckless.

Back of postcard reads:

PALM VILLA
P.O. Box 222 FIreside 6-8844
Highway 111, 15 minutes East of Palm Springs
Directly across from Union 76 Station in
PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA

Comfortable Hotel and Kitchen apartments.
Popular rates. Large heated, filtered Swimming Pool.
Shuffleboard, Table Tennis. Friendly atmosphere.
Romantic Starlite nites. Lazy relaxing days in the sun.
Adjacent to fabulous Shadow Mtn. Club. Riding, tennis,
golf, dancing.

Points of interest: Date Palms, Sand Dunes, Joshua Trees,
Pines to Palms Hwy., Idyllwild (skiing), Salton Sea, Boating,
Hunting; Palm Canyon, Tahquitz Canyon. Inspiring Panoramic
sunrises and sunsets over colorful Shadow Mtns. and San
Jacinto Mtn. Convenient to Restaurants, Night Clubs, unusual
Shops. Weekly and monthly rates on request. Make reservations
early. Stay "Where the Sun Lingers Longer."