Wow, its been awhile since I had a chance for any updates. Where do I start? Just got back from Nashville and the AKCA annual Koi Seminars. What a great pond tour. Beautiful ponds, mega bucks! Got to visit with a few couples that we have met over the years, too. Attendance was a little down, but we still had a good time. We drove ourselves out and Harry reluctantly agreed to take the truck this time instead of the little car. The little car is great on gas mileage, but has no room to bring anything back, which Harry loves and I of course hate. I had figured it would only take an additional 100.00 or so for gas, but he knew with the things I bought to put in it, that it would be closer to 1000.00 by the time I got home. Well, I don't have that kind of free spending money, but I went with a "secret stash" just in case. The vendors at the trade show were all quite friendly and the talks were, well ...so soo...not sure I really learned anything new, but nice refresher courses anyway. For us, it's just getting to talk to old friends and driving around the area to see the sites. We spent a day at Pres. Jackson's Hermitage House and an afternoon at a nearby town called Franklin; site of one of the most deadliest civil war battles. So lots of history in that area. We ate downtown and bar hopped all the "Honky Tonks", as they are called there. One evening we went to the famous Opryland Radio Show which was held at the Ryman Auditorium, since the new building was flooded in the recent floods. We really didn't see much sign of their flooding damage, but then again didn't go into those areas of town. And, because of the floods we didn't get to see the Opry Land Mills Hotel and its botanical center and shops. Maybe next time. On Sunday, we took the pond tour associated with the seminars. Oh man, there certainly were some beauties. I did feel sorry for the pond owners, because most the ponds were covered with foam from spawning fish. Not the usual superior water quality, but real life happening in their ponds. Stuff most people don't get to see. I'm sure when they set the date for the seminar, spawning never entered their minds. Regardless the ponds were beautiful and the fish were, in general, huge.

My own fish spawned Tuesday night. What a mess. Millions of eggs everywhere. Harry did a huge water change. The fish seemed really tired this morning. They've been gorging on eggs in the pond. No feeding for at least a day or two. Saw lots of scales in the bottom of the pond, so know they have to be pretty beaten up. I'll be watching them closely to make sure I don't get an outbreak of ulcers. Harry keeps doing water changes, so feel like I'm wasting money by putting any water conditioners in there. The string algae is growing like crazy now that the water temps have finally warmed up . We're just pulling it out as best we can.

Still trying to catch up work, but will try to get back tomorrow with pics of my new fishies. Fun, fun...

Nashville is under water

Just a little over a week left before we leave to go on our vacation to the AKCA annual koi seminars. I was so looking forward to visiting Opryland Mills Hotel and that area. I've been looking at these fabulous pictures of a boat inside, floating down this stream surrounded by plants and this huge botanical garden. Well, if you haven't heard, Nashville is flooded. So everything close to the river is under water. I guess our seminar hotel, the Milinium, is high and dry so the seminars will go on, but there will be no tours of these fabulous areas this year. Just 2 years ago when we went to the seminar, everyone was asking about Cedar Rapids and how the people here were doing. Now, Nashville is going through the same thing. Regardless, I'm still looking forward to going.
The weather has really been cold hasn't it? My pond temps Sunday morning were back down to 50 degrees again. I surely hope my fish don't get sick. They have not spawned yet. My records show it was June 6th in 2009 when they spawned last year. I'm sure it will be that late again this year. It's crazy. Most people's fish have already spawned. People think I'm crazy when I tell them my ponds have not warmed up enough yet. But then, if they had spawned, all the little guys would be dead, because it's now too cold for them. Even the frogs have finally quieted down.
I spent all of mother's day out in the garden planting, and digging, and tilling. Got a new mini rotor tiller for mother's day! What a great gift! It works great and I love it.

Finally the fish are out!

Finally we got the koi out of the basement and into the ponds! After about 4 consecutive days in the low 70's, I felt like the pond was close enough to the basement pond temps to put the fish out. I began the day by vacuuming the ponds. Harry blew the filters and settling chambers. Millions and millions of toad eggs were everywhere. They have been particularly loud all week. And non-stop too. I'd wake up in the middle of the night and could hear them out there. (Even with the windows closed) I worried that the neighbors would be complaining, but they have always been pretty cool about my ponds and the noise I make. I recently bumped into one of the neighbors that walks her dogs early in the morning. She said she got close to the house and could hear water running someplace. It didn't dawn on her that it was my waterfalls. Said she was embarrassed to say, she was looking all over for the problem area. Looked in the manholes and everywhere listening for the source of the gushing water. She just knew it was a water pipe broke someplace. Finally, her ears traced the noise to my yard. Which, she knows I have the ponds, so she said she felt so stupid. But, they had been off for nearly 4 months; she wasn't used to hearing them again. We laughed together.
So anyway, it's nice to see life in the upper, smaller, pond again. It's the pond I can see from my kitchen table. Of course the GFCI wouldn't work. It showed signs of definitely burning up. So, Harry will have to replace it. I've had several GFCI ( Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters) burn up on me. They don't just trip they turn black and I've even had them melt down. Guess they are doing their job, but I'm always glad they are outside!! And, I never know the cause. Whatever I plug into them seems ok. So the extension cord is strung across the pond to run the aerator till I can get Harry to replace the plug. Which he won't like, cause it's a tight place with plants all around and he knows I'll yell at him for stepping on them. So, he'll loudly cuss them and maybe even me under his breath.