With all the conflict that is going on around us today, I offer this moment of Zen. This is a short video I took a few minutes ago of my homemade fish pond with my rescue feeder goldfish. They are thriving!
Whenever, I want to get away from all the noise and confusion of the world, I walk out to my back yard at at the far end on the right is my fish pond which I stocked with feeder goldfish last year from a local pet store. At the time I purchased them they were ten cents apiece, three for twenty-five cents. Of course they were much smaller than they are now. And they're even breeding! See the smaller goldfish? They were born in this pond.
I would love to have a pet again. A cat, or a dog but at this time of my life that just isn't practical. The number one reason is that both Bill and I are prone to falling. Having a dog or cat weaving between our feet when we walk is just asking for a visit to the Emergency Room. That's why I had to so reluctantly give up "Fiona", that little calico kitten I adored six months ago. I'm hoping she has a nice home now where she can live out a long life will all the love of her new human family.
My goldfish in my backyard pond are my pets now. I even have a frog back there which I knew would happen. You build a pond, the frogs will show up! The same thing happened when I built my ponds at our home in Pennsylvania.
So now, even if I have a medical event and end up in the hospital for a stay, the goldfish can fend for themselves. In the meantime, I visit my "pets" several times daily in my backyard. They are my "therapy."
5 comments:
The initial cost and labor of the fish pond sure has paid off for you. A serene little getaway where you can find a moment of peace and rejuvenation. That type of goldfish are true survivors and keep the water clean. Frogs make a lot of noise which neighbors don't always appreciate. My fish pond was supposed to have just been a nice feature in my back yard garden with a small fountain/water feature. I have written before how it became the fish pond from hell. The neighbors were against it from the very beginning. It was to have been a faeture in the garden that would last for decades to come. I had it professionly built and plumbed. I did the landscaping around it and planted a few special water plants. I followed directions from Lilypons Water Gardens in Adamstown, Maryland. Well, my little piece of Zen in my garden turned into a nightmare in short order. I must state at this point that a creek with flowing water meandered through 8 of the neighbors properties as well as mine. The creek had deep pools of water and attracted lots of wildlife. No one ever complained that the creek was a health and safety hazard. One late afternoon I noticed a neighbor out in the backyard looking at the now 3 month old water feature in my garden. I walked out to greet her and that is when hell began to break loose int the garden. Where is your fence? I said there were no plans as there was already the split rail fencing around most of the property. Neighbor turned into a Karen from the deepest bowels of hell. I would eventually be required to fence in the area of the garden that contained the water feature. A 5 foot high fence and a gate that locked. I protested in court but lost. I had in the mean time emptied the fish and lily pond of the plants and goldfish to temporary wooden half barrels on the patio. An ugly and expensive legal battle took place which being the one having to defend myself most of the cost of the legal battle was on me. The neighbors young sister had drowned in her childhood neighbors goldfish pond. She claimed she was looking out for the welfare of the young and the elderly who might happen to fall into the pond and drown. I had pointed out the creek that ran through the neighborhood. Naturally accuring feature of the land it was deemed. I lost and rather than fence in the yard to turn it into a prison yard I paved over the pond and intersperced the water plant barrels into the landscape. Another notice to appear in court. This time for noise violation. The frogs croaking kept the Karen awake at night. I had to remove them. Ron, I am so glad you have found a wonderful hobby in your backyard water feature. Be safe, be careful, be happy. Woody in Ohio
Oh, and there is a rather ironic ending to my neighborhood Karen. Seems one morning the Karen didn't answer several calls from her daughter. Daughter did a welfare check using her key to enter the house. The Karen was dead at the breakfast table and face down in a milk filled bowl of cereal. Seems death by drowning can happen anywhere at anytime. The cause was a stroke but she had inhaled the milk as well. I truly felt sorry for the woman and of course her family. Payback is the bitch, isn't it?
Woody,
What bad luck you had with your backyard pond! Fortunately my backyard pond is at the edge of my (almost) one acre lot. The only way a wayward child can get to it is by traversing my whole backyard to the pond. I have a thick undergrowth and trees on the other sides of the pond. Of course anyone could accidentally fall into the pond as they could a stream. Oh how I wish I had a stream running through my property. That is the one thing I will always miss. Many years ago (when I was 12 years old( I had accesss to a very small stream (spring water). I only needed a small cream to dam up for my ducks. That was fun until I came home from school one day and discovered my ducks were gone. I told my Mother and she told me my father had given the ducks away to a co-workers of his to eat. That was my childhood. An uncaring father devoid of feelings or respect for me.
As far as I know we don't have a "Karen" in our neighborhood. "Karens" can make life hell, that's for sure.
Have a great day Woody. Always interested to read your stories.
Ron
Good for you! And the goldfish !
Spo,
The fish are very happy ad I a very happy that they're very happy in my pond. Having that pond was a long time coming but now I feel complete with my backyard nature friendly habitat.
Ron
Post a Comment