The fish pond

My little pond has taken on its own life. This summer with the heat and the never-ending sun, and my love of feeding the fish, the algae has grown and is trying to take over.

Every couple of days I haul a number of the water hyacinth out of the pond and strip the string algae off the long roots. The fish flutter about while I do this and often I run some cold water into the pond at the same time. The fish go nuts and frolic in the stream, turning somersaults and flipping their tails which by the way are getting longer and prettier - Disney like even. Their colours - now that's like watching a bunch of neon signs flirting and flouncing around at the surface. Great fun to watch.

At the bottom of the pond in this photograph, you can see one of the tiny little fishes. They are awfully cute and I was so surprised to see the first one the other day. A friend told me yesterday that when they first hatch they are grey and blend in with the pond background. As they grow they begin to develop their colours...even the larger ones are starting show differences in their patterns and hues.

You can easily see the algae clinging to the rocks. I'll be in there pulling that off and maybe even taking the rocks out and scrubbing them next week.

You can also see the reflection of the back of my home and the huge tree that overhangs the drive shed in the surface water of the pond and the dappled sky - a mackerel sky my fishing friends would call it - perfect for catching those elusive trout, bass, and pickerel that we find in our northern lakes.

And there are other inhabitants of the pond:

Have a great weekend.... it's clear to me that my froggy and fishy friends will. Hope you enjoyed my bit of whimsy this morning - I often spend a few moments in the morning with a cup of coffee just enjoying nature's entertainment in my backyard. Hope there is something you enjoy each morning as well.