Ponds 2013 II

I had the same experience but during the day. A guy on parole (drug dealer) was running from the police and came through my back gate while I was gardening. He was acting erratic and his story didn't make much sense but he was non-threatening so I suggested he come in and call the police (not knowing he was running from the police). Funny when you look back. He asked if he could take my car and I said no, so he asked if I would drive him out and I said no. He fled out the back door about the time the cops filled OUR culdesac. I got such a ration from my husband and politely from the cops for being so stupid as to invite him in the house. He could have shot me. I did stay by the door out back just in case but not much good if he pulled a gun, which they said he had. The police kept asking if he threatened me or tried to take my car without permission. I said no that he kept saying "don't worry, stay calm." more worried about me getting upset than anything. They later came and got me to identify him a few blocks over. I sat in the back of the police car well away from him and just peeked over the back seat to see him standing with a policeman in the middle of the street. Quite and experience. God looks after fools and children. With my naivte not sure that I don't qualify for both.

Wow, you guys, both of those events are scary. I will look at the fish. I will get my old eyes out there right now because the light is on the pond.

Started taking a few pics while the water was low. This one is a Doitsu Matsuba, close to 2 feet long.

Ki Utsuri

Doitsu (dragon Scale) yamabuki

Asagi ....one regular, one gin rin (sparkly scales)

Butterfky yamabuki (Butterfly = hirenaga)

Both are shusui butterfly.....Blue fish with red and minimal scales. The right one is usally referred to as Hana Shusui, meaning much more red.

Gorgeous, Mary! Do you know bow late the zippers can appear on the backs of the koi? My shishui was about 3-4" when I bought him and he already had his zipper. I have an orange (orenji?) The has that type of marking, however he is still all orange. I am wondering if he is working on zipper. I believe he is about 5 years old or so. He was born in my pond.

Hi MM,
Can't write much cause can't see too good yet from eye surgery. I do see the blue one, hopefully thats the guy I am going to inheret. He is just beautiful. Do you have another blue you could breed it with?
All for now.
Bonnie

The top pic is of a doitsu matsuba....it looks like a red shushui, but isn't. It is red with a a black zipper down it's back...does yours look like that?

Bonnie, I have one for you that's smaller....the pictured ones are close to 2 feet long. I also have a non-butterfly blue for you, who is a very pretty sky blue, with hardly any red.

Carolyn, The "shusui" are really blue fish, with red bellies (to some extent) Depending on how far the red crawls up his sides, and to the top, to make him red, then makes him a hana shusui, the hana meaning red. If you have a red fish with the zipper, it's more than likely a not a shushui, and will not develop any blue.

Mary, my shishui is blue with quite a bit of red. I am talking about a completely different fish and only mention my shishui as a reference in regards to his zipper. I will get a picture of the orange fish when I get home from work, so you can see him.

Bonnie - how did your surgery go? Hope you are feeling better soon.

Carolyn....sorry, I misunderstood what you were saying. :) I'd love to see a picture of your fish!

Bonnie, hope your eyes heal quickly, I know you love to get outside....and of course, read the massive amounts of deep meaningful things we have to say! Ha! :) I've been trying to hand dig my new pond, but these high 90's only let me go for a short time. I've been thinking how lovely it would be to tear down all of our fences and drive your Kubata in! We'd probably get sued by the neighbors, but the pond would be done! Yippeee!

Mary

He is the all orange one in the picture. He has a zipper like line going down his back, although the line is orange like he is. If you look at him in person, you can tell the scaling is different than the rest of his scales or the other fish that do not have zipppers down their back. That is why I was wondering if this area might change color on him. Not sure how old a fish can be before you can figure they won't change their colors or patterns - do you know?

Nope....he will stay the same that he is now. He's a doitsu orenji..... Orenji meaning in the orange (single color) range....and doitsu meaning minimal scales. The scales can be anything from pretty much non-existant, to minimal with a back ridge, like yours has, to larger spot area scales. It was a breed developed by the Germans (hence Deutsch, translated into Doitsu) Some of mine have dolphin like skin, with only scales down their spine....some have that plus a few very large scales along their lateral line. :)

Carolyn...Here you can see a normal scaled fish on the top...and a doitsu scaled fish on the bottom. The bottom doitsu has white scales down his spine, and his body coloring is also white. They will not change to a dark color. He's about 7 years old, and 2 feet long.

Mary

My orenji's scales are very similar to you fish on the bottom. I kind of wondered - I think my fish is about 5 years old or so.

Your fish are so pretty.

Thank you.

Hi All,
Every day its improveing but left eye still blurry vision some. Had it done Tues. and had pain which isn't normal so eye doc called me and said to come back in and he checked it and said it was healing now for which I'm very thankful. It throws balance off because its seeing different than other eye. Can't wait to get right eye done too then they will get in sync.
A very humbling experience.
My 18 yr. old grandson is coming tomorrow from Cal. so will put him to work helping me clean ponds as they badly need it.
Please continue to pray for healing in left eye. I appreciate it much.
Bonnie

Prayers definitely headed your way Bonnie! How nice that he's coming to visit you! Be careful while you heal, don't overdue anything and delay the healing process. Things will be there next week and next month! Whatever doesn't get done today, certainly can wait. :)

Bonnie, I'm adding you to my prayer list too. Unknown iris.

THANK YOU FOR PRAYER. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
Charlie and SIL just went to airport to PU grandson. News this morning said Southwest Airlines had computer problems so they had lots of planes delayed but I checked and his is on time.
I have been just lazing around inside the house cause the bright sun really bothers the eye even with those dark glasses on. Will take it easy even tho its not in my nature.
Happy ponding to all.
Bonnie

You're welcome. I'll try to get over to the pond to take some pictures of the water lilies, they were beautiful yesterday, but of course, I didn't take the camera with me. I should have some Japanese irises blooming, too.

Holy cow...it's been so incredibly hot outside that I haven't been able to get much digging done for the pond. I just trim plants here and there and still come inside drained!
Bonnie...hope you're having a good time with your grandson. Also hope you eye is healing, so you can enjoy your beautiful yard and ponds!
Mittsy..the only camera I have is my cell phone, so that's easier to carry around with my cup of coffee anyway. My husband is such a gadget guy, getting the most advanced of whatever, that most of us have no clue how to use any of it...so cell phone camera it is.
Caroylyn...how many fish do you have in your pond?

MM - We have 17 fish in our pond, which is 4850 gallons.

Bonnie - how is your eye doing?

Carolyn....got your message and will respond shortly....
I'm trying to be reeeeallly good once my pond is done, and lighten some of my fish load. I fully admit that I have way too many now that half are 2 feet long, but I'm also attached to most of them, and always see one more that I just can't live without. I'm going to try to keep 15 jumbos (anything over 20") and 15-20 smaller ( 6-14 inch) and then sell the rest. Of course, while Bonnie's not looking, I'm going to send some to her pond. :)

Thank you, Mary.

Hi all,
Eye is getting better but haven't driven as had is a little dizzy due to both eyes aren't in sync. Got eye doc. apmt. tomorrow and I'm hoping he'll set other eye apmt. surgery.
Got old pond cleaned out and refilled. During the process all fish died except 3 small ones. Lack of ozygen I'm sure. Transfered 3 largeer ones into large pond and 2 made it ok.
Jeff was not happy as most of them were his. Pond is crystal clear and I'm not going to tush out and buy more cause right now got other things to deal with.
This morning they were churning up water mateing and also ate up all the water celery we put in there. Will pull some out and see if I can get it growing again. Guess it was because they never had anything that tasted that good green. BTW I tasted it and its very good.
Grandsons who helped me dig pond came over and good thing they did or it would never have been finished. 18 yr. old from Cal. needs to go back next Tues. and I can't wait. Just sat down and bossed us all around until I told him to shut up. Guess 18 knows everything or this one does.
Charlie has been so patient and helpful to me I was shocked.
Time for bed and I'm going to take a sleeping pill and hope it knocks me out for the night.
Appreciate your prayers.
Bonnie

Goodness Bonnie! What an adventure!! Certainly don't buy koi, I will bring you some!

Bonnie, hope your doctor can fix you right up! Try to take it easy. We are still flooded but the japanese irises are loving it. A few more bloomed yesterday. First Act at pondside. Close up #4 is Coho. Unregistered I call it Boojum after the screen name of the Bonnie who swapped with me.

For some reason the pictures didn't coordinate with the captions. #4 is Boojum and #5 is Coho.

Hope these are correct.
#1, 2, and 3 Purchased as Pleasant Journey but it's NOT. Just another vigorous noid.
4 & 5 Flooding picture of unregistered Fortune in standing water

Yesterday I saw four baby skunks go under the hot tub decking. So cute!

MM,
Thank you. July 9 is last eye surgery and then hopefully I will be seeing straight and have better balance. i'm not doing much work outside due to heat but thank God our home is very cool and comfortable.
Mittsy,
Your iris are just beautiful. Lovely colors.
My thumbergia, cleradendrum, brugs, dutchsman pipe and some calabrocoa, golden cestrum are blooming now. Zebra longwings seem to love that cestrum and there are a lot of them around now. Some pink mandevilla has climbed up into oak tree about 25 feet and are blooming. Also I noticed my yellow alamanda just planted this year are blooming. We have had a little rain every day and it sure makes the plants grow like crazy.
Happy gardening all.

Bonnie

Ok....started a new thread called Ponds 2013 III . Not sure how to link them, but it's up and running. :)

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1324356/

New thread started.... go to here! :)