My Fish.....

I have been sitting outside enjoying the cool sun. I was sitting by the pond. Well, I have put two glass balls in there, the kind that you fill with water and stick in a plant. I didn't want them for that reason and as the stems tend to break, well I put them in the pond.

Well as I sat there, I began to take notice of the fish. They were playing.

At first I didn't understand what they were doing, but the biggest one kept flipping the stem of the ball with his tail. It made it move.

Then I began to watch more careful and I could see that they were all 3 of them pushing the balls with noses and flipping them with tails. The balls would move around the pond and back together again.

I cant believe the pictures came out so clear. I wasn't able to catch them in the act but still..........

Anyway my fish have done well, they survived a bad winter, a long winter. I think keeping the pump running so the water kept moving helped. They grew larger during the winter unbelievably.

I started off with a tank full of goldfish that I brought in during the first winter. That worked well. They got eaten by some critter or other. Those all had names. The next batch had names too. They died because I messed up and put water from the hose in the pond, I forgot it had fluoride in it.
Then last year I got these 3. There were 7 to begin with and at the end I thought there were only two survivors. Come to find out there are 3 and they get along well. I sure hope they are smart and stay alive. They have places to hide. I put a 1/2 bird bath top in there and it makes them a cave.

So if I can keep Boots the cat away and no Raccoons come around, if these guys survive summer I may name them. They also love to jump over the water that comes out of the pump. I can not believe how playful they are.They are happy fish.

Sharing this with A Dedicated House Also linking with Rose Chintz cottage

Cleaning out the Pond..............

The pond was clogged up with a lot of leaves. It smelled horrible. This year with hardly any snow the pond did not freeze as it usually does. Normally we have a heater that keeps it a little open but we had no need of that. Well the only two surviving fish died. Poor things. I always feel sad when they die. We now need to scrub the pond out well and put in fresh water. Get it at the right level for survival and anti chloride it. Although other people say that does not bother their fish, it has always seemed to bother ours. This year I want the pond to be a happy place and for the fish to have a good chance to survive. I will buy bigger ones to start off with I think. Here is Tristen helping Granddad.

I think I will go out to the fish place and ask some questions. I can not afford to have them come and set it up or I would do that. We go to Waterscapes Unlimited in Lake Ann, Mi. Its great for an afternoon out just browsing around their gardens, streams and ponds. Then always, the feeding of the Coy. This year I must get the pond at the right Ph levels. It only very small but intil we get this one right I can not really put in a larger one.
Here is the pond looking pretty.

Golden Fish.......

Golden fish in garden pond
hides beneath the lily frond
Flash of yellow, amber and gold,
Jumps the surface feeling bold.
Makes a splash but quickly hides
To the bottom he gracefully glides
He plays among the water flowers
plays hide and seek for many hours.
Ever watchful shy and sleek
careful to avoid the Heron's beak.
Coon and fox and many more
Seek him out with deadly paw.
Still he swims with spirit and ease
Lives his life just as he please
Has no fear of what life brings
just for this day his heart sings.
For Golden fish life's full of fun
Morning up to setting sun.

Unfinished poem, Feb 2012 JKS