Another of skimmer
Fall and Winter
Poor babies look cold, Mary!
This is a shot of the shallow end of the pond where the skimmer is. The white box on the top is a cover for the heat trace which we put in the line to the biowell to assure it stays thawed all winter. The 4x4 with snow on top keeps the cord for the deicer below it out of the ice. The little dark spot above the snow on the 4x4 is the entrance to the skimmer. We keep a deicer in the skimmer also to keep it front freezing solid (which it wouldn't do right now as it isn't cold enough), but perhaps the water is a tetch warmer??
I am a little worried that the fish are gravitating to the deicers. The kohaku was right below the one in front of the skimmer. If we have a cold snap I fear they could get caught in the ice.
Last shot. This is the deep end with similar set up for deicer
Mary
I am surprised your koi are not at the bottom of your pond....do they gravitate to the top by the deicers every winter?
It really looks like winter there. So far, we have only had a dusting of snow and that was last night. Other then that, it has been raining. I'll take the rain over the snow...
To be honest I have not noticed them doing so. Of course, I have rarely seen them in the winter at all, so this year is quite different. The big difference is the pump circulating water around the bottom of the pond into the caves. I doubt the caves were warmer just because of body temp of fish congregated there. Water temp right now should be barely 33 which I know puts a terrible strain on the fish. But 17 survived last year so I have to hope, since this is milder (knock on wood as Jan-Feb are traditionally the coldest months here) they will all be okay. But, as my son says, it is what it is, and will be what it will be --- no gain in stressing. HA. Easier said than done.
I agree that I live in a very beautiful part of the country.Fredericton is a university and government city..no heavy industry. It used to be called the City of Stately Elms .
We are having an exceptionaly mild winter.We did have a white Christmas.Today we are supposed to have freezing rain.It isn't bad yet.I walked over to a nearby diner for brunch with little trouble.I put a heater in the shell base of our Shady lady.The birds have really enjoyed the watering hole.Yesterday the Grackles were here enmass for a polar swim.They splashed and had a great time ,then they flew to a sunny protected tree and dried off. They emptied 2 suet feeders in one day.The Hairy Woodpeckers tried to drive them off but were outnumbered.
The pond was open the other day so I counted my fish and all were there.I don't keep track of the water temp.
The warm Florida temps sound pretty nice to me .I have to keep myself happy with my orchids and Amaryllis during the winter.I spend a lot of time watching the wild creatures in my back yard!I have the wrong picture but I post the one I intended when I find it.JOY
Joy
Such a pretty picture - do I see scilla and Polmonaria
Yes Carolyn .the white ones are Blood Root.That is a little wild spot in my garden.I let mother nature do her thing.I still haven't found the birds...a new camera and for some reason I can't find my pictures and then they appear . I wish I was a little smarter about these electronic gagets.Santa brought me a Soney reader that I'm enjoying most of the time .....until I hit a new chapter .JOY
Joy, that is a strange fuzzy looking bird in the middle. :) My neighbor has one she calls Pansy that she can hand feed. Pansy has to fight off the birds from the feeders to get the peanuts and peanut butter.
I have the same strange 'fuzzy birds' here too. I was out today looking at everything in the gardens and found this same strange 'fuzzy bird' had dug up some of my Giant Snowflakes....
I can't believe you have green stuff in your yard. WAAAAAAA! Much less flowers. I mentioned to Damien we need to sell the house and move south. He said "what about my job." I said "oh, you could move into the condo where your office is." He replied "oh,k I didn't realize that WE meant you and Woody."
LOL. I told him, of course I meant he and I as well as Woody. But that isn't going to happen very soon as his work tends to project a year or so into the future. Course, it wouldn't prevent us from buying land or even a house which I could visit periodically. And plant stuff. Hmmm, that wouldn't work as someone would need to water and do security. I just hate to wait as I want stuff to start growing and maturing before I am wheelchair bound or so stiff I can't even bend over much less kneel
Mary
that picture was taken last May. I did however take a walk into the back and found that my daffs are sprouting.....
Carolyn I'm glad you are honest!!We are covered with ice.The family have made their annual escape to Grand Manan and I've been alone since Friday.The birds have kept me amused,They have had a polar swim in my shady lady shell.They've emptied the suet feeders twice since Christmas.In the absence of the family I fed them left overs.My family are sure I will attract rodents so I refrain when they are around.I would like to feed the crows but just don't have the scraps for them. Do crows like frozen french fries?? JOY
Joy
It would not surprise me if the crows at the french fries. Aren't they scavengers? Perhaps they are not..... I do not know for sure.
We have ravens. Huge 'in your face' birds. They eat everything. I was sitting in my car waiting for Costco to open and there were two in the parking lot. One had something he was eating. He took it to the side of a post, away from the other bird and bug a little hole in the ice and snow with his beak, then put in what he was eating, then proceeded to cover it up with beak and claw. Then casually walked away toward the other bird, you could almost see him whistling very nonchalantly. "Me? Food? no-no!" When the other bird hippty hopped (silly looking walk) a ways a way, the first bird returned quickly to dig up his prize. As the other returned he quickly buried it. It was really comical watching. And they get on the roads looking for road kill.
What makes me laugh is when they are on the side of the road and you go by in your car, they scream at you. It is like they are saying 'Get away! This is mine!'
Most definitely!!
I turned off the pump to the bird bath part of the pond this morning and put in the pond heater. Put out the heated Bird Bath so the birds will still have some fresh water.
Oberon, I was just reading on Face Book about the cold temperatures up there.Is it that cold in Anchorage.How can you heater keep up with that cold? JOY
Well, I assume you mean the pond deicer. I think calling it a 'heater' is rather a misnomer. All mine do ( and I have three, two of the cattle trough type and one of the black innertube shape) is keep holes open in the ice. Right now the hole is pretty much the size of the deicer, but when it is warmer it can thaw out maybe 1x2' of ice. One is in the skimmer to just keep it from freezing into a block and rupturing the plastic box. We also run a heat trace (cable) up the pipe from the skimmer to the biowell. It is thermostatically run only kicking on when the water left in the pipe reaches a certain low temp. Really helps us getting the pond up and running earlier. The guys who built it left a low spot in the pipe where water gathers and there is no way (economically) to dig it up. The first year it was the middle of June before we could thaw it out. then we got the heat trace. Some of the fish hang out in the skimmer and I am assuming that the water in that small space is maybe a degree or two warmer than the pond in general.
And of course the 'heater' in our house keeps us nice and toasty. lol
Well just when the weather has turned cold my pond heater has died.The ice is solid over the pond so there is no way to get it out.I have another but they only work when they are immersed in the water. If I put on top of the ice I don't think it will do a thing.I just hope my poor fish survive.The bird are enjoying the open water where I have the working heater.It has attracted so many different birds.This may show what they are enjoying. JOY
Joy
How long has it been frozen over? You may want to pour a pot of hot water over the ice to create a hole.
Unplug the old heater and put the new one on the ice with the plug side/metal side down. It will melt a hole into the ice. One of our heaters died the week before last - this worked for us.
This is the third day.I'll try that. I think the fish will be ok so far .They go almost dormant.Thanks JOY
Carolyn I did what you told me to and it is working.What a relief ! I hated to take it from the bird bathing spot so I bought another heater.When I arrived home I found an unexpected cheque in the mailbox .Nice surprise....paid for the heater and more.JOY
A check in the mail is always nice -
Glad it worked for you.
Carolyn
Snowstorm tonight.Hope it fills the poor shady Lady.The bird and critters have lowered the water level in her shell.I don't want to carry water in a pail...not that I could.JOY
Had a skin cancer remover from the side of my face....today. No pain as yet.JOY
Hope it continues to be pain free.
I hope you continue to be pain free as well Joy.
Pouring here right now - works for me.
Carolyn,
Send some of that rain down here we need it badly. No. Fl. got some but we didn't.
Today I'm working on preparing backyard vegie garden. Got seed packets yesterday and determined this year to get them started early at least in Feb. cause by March they should be large enough to plant in ground.
Good weekend to all.
Bonnie
We are experiencing a very cold day today but no wind.The birds are taking advantage of the heated bird bath.My little operation hasn't caused me any pain.I'm starting to use my elliptic trainer and the cramps in my feet have disappeared.It's too cold and icy to walk outside.Spring can't come soon enough for me.Off to a funeral this afternoon.Husband of a dear friend of more than 50 years.JOY
Winter has arrived. My pond and back yard this morning,
From my bedroom window I was able to see a herd of deer passing thru my neighbors yard looking for something to eat. They were so pretty.
The snow is already knee deep for my Chihuahua Sweetpea.
Great pics. Looks like home minus two or three feet of snow. When Woody our chihuahua pom mix goes out back all i can see is the verytip of his plummy tail as he jumps down the snow path. He loves the snow
Bea
Your pictures are always a treat - poor Sweetpea looks cold!
Thanks Carolyn. She was cold and that pic was about 30 seconds of being put outside.