Happy's transformation and other pond updates...

About four days ago, I noticed that Happy was starting to change color!

 

I also noticed that some of the small fry were getting larger and taking their chances out with the big kids more often.

 

At one point I saw Survivor just swim by and scoop one of the fry into his mouth! 

 

At first I was afraid I might have a couple dozen or more goldfish to find homes for come fall. But There seem to be a couple less each day. So we'll see.

 

This toad has been back to the pond at least a couple of evenings. I compared the markings in my previous photo and it's definitely the same one.

 

It's amazing to watch the fish of all sizes swimming around together. 

 

Look at Happy's color now! 

 

 

Happy and Go-Lucky still hang around some.

 

It's so fun watching the changes in the pond!

Summer Days at Gram's- June and July 2013

The June visit  was during a heat wave; our activities centered around staying cool...

Canyon playing checkers with Toryn.

 

Swimming at Randy's pool. Canyon spent most of his time under water. 

 

Trek splashed and kicked- and was so proud that he could touch the bottom this year.

 

In Gram's little pool, Canyon practiced snorkeling.

Both boys dove for Battle Beasts at least a hundred times.

 

Canyon engineered a dam.

 

Trek was "Mighty Mud"- a hero who delivered mud to the engineer in a crisis.

 

Trek spent as much time as possible with Mocha and Aiko.

 

I made some shade over the sand pile where they played (with more water) while I took care of a few things in the garden.

The July visit was during monsoon season and it wasn't quite so hot. 

A summer rain shower without lightening and thunder! What fun!

 

Canyon helped split the wood, build the fire and get it started. He did a great job!

 

Roasting marshmallows is almost as fun as eating them!

 

The boys howled with Bo every evening. He loved it!

 

Playing in the tree house....

 

Climbing trees...

 

 

Cooling off in Gram's small pool... 

 

And enjoying a "McGram's Happy Meal"- complete with a cheeseburger, home-made fries, apple slices, apple juice...and of course, a toy!

 

I've waited all summer for this! Monsoon toads!

After each monsoon rain I've been listening. I've been waiting. I've been watching. Yesterday was the day! We had a powerful storm with flash-crack lightening and thunder, followed by a full-blown gully washer! I had to quickly dig a ditch draining the water away from my front door where it was lapping over the threshold. Then I heard them! The calling of the toads who had waited patiently for wet enough conditions that they could emerge from their long underground hibernation to feast and mate.   

Last night, just after dark, I went outside to see if any of the toads had found the way to my pond (they must mate in water). None yet. I left an outside light on in hopes of attracting a toad to gorge on insects there. No luck. I went out one last time before bed. It was almost 10:30. I was sure I heard a toad calling near my pond. sure enough! I found this Great Plains Toad sitting on the flagstone at the edge of the pond.

 

I snapped a photograph, which startled the toad into the water. It hung by the edge for awhile, seeming pretty comfortable there. I often find them hanging in the pond and calling for mates.

 

 This toad soon climbed partly out and rested on the edge of the pond. It looked at me as if to say, "I'll never get another toad to join me as long as you are here". I went to bed happy, every once in awhile hearing the calling of the toads.

Then there is a fish fry of another kind....

 A couple of days ago I  posted about the very exciting goldfish fry (babies) in my pond. This story is about another kind of fish fry. Toryn and I decided to take some R & R along with a few worms and our fishing poles to Show Low Lake. It was Toryn's first fishing adventure of the year. She was pleased to land a nice-sized ???? within the first half hour. It wasn't a trout. It had pretty good sized teeth. Not a pike, right? Nope! She pulled in a coveted walleye!

Yes!! I caught a fish!

 

Yikes! This thing has teeth!

 

Cooked to perfection, the walleye made fabulous Sunday Brunch tacos.

 

Add garden tomato, radish, onion, green (and roasted chili on mine).

 

Grill a bit of yellow squash and the walleye feast is complete!

 

Just Sayin'

 

I've been gardening here on the high plateau for more than 38 years and I'm just sayin' that I am still surprised on a regular basis. Tonight, I'm enjoying the last Arkansas Black apple from the fall 2012 crop. Crispy. Sweet. Tart. Maybe I'm amazed.

Small Fry and Other Pond Pleasures

It's no secret that my little pond (about 200 gallons) brings me endless hours of calm pleasure. From colorful flowers to the sound of water falling, from horsetail rushes standing tall to fish swimming happily to and fro, I am gifted each time I sit for a quiet moment here. 
 

This year I planted some Parrots Feather, a floating plant in an effort to offer some protection to the five goldfish who live here (in case the blue heron shows up again). They have been a little rough on the water weeds, but seemed to love them from day one!



Getting rowdy in the Parrots Feather!

 

 

When Bo enjoys a drink from the pond, the goldfish often swim circles around his tongue.


 

Mud dauber wasps (non-aggressive insects, just trying to do their job) also appreciate the Parrots Feather as it gives them a place of balance when they come in to scoop up a load of water. 

 

A few days ago, Toryn brought this young fish over to see if it could survive in the pond. She'd bought a few Wal-Mart goldfish babies and he was the only one who lived. I figured he might have a chance by hiding in the water weeds, but this little guy (about 2 1/4") was so thrilled to be in the pond, he swam happily here and there. I decided to call him (or her) Happy.

 

I went out later that night and shined a flashlight into the pond to see if I could find Happy. I almost fell into the water when I spotted these small fry (baby fish) swimming amongst the plants (two tiny ones on the left; one larger fry in the center)! I've had goldfish in this pond for 11 years (since 2002) and only once have I had a baby fish. That was the first year the blue heron came (2006). The beautiful bird ate four of the eight goldfish I had snagged from Pete's pond four years earlier. The remaining four were so traumatized they hid behind the pump and filter for several weeks, and must have missed one little egg that hatched out a fry. By the time they resurfaced "Survivor" was bigger than they wanted to eat. About five years later (2011) the heron returned and nabbed the other four "original" goldfish. Only now full-grown "Survivor" escaped again. So last year I bought some feeder goldfish and ended up with the five comets seen in the second photo above. I guess the Parrots Feather provided a place for eggs to attach and fry to hide. Amazing!

 

It seems as if there have been a few spawns this summer! I've only seen one fry this size. Happy (the upper fish) and "Go-Lucky" (the lower fry) seem to hit it off and can often be found in close proximity.

 

There are at least a dozen (maybe more) small fry ranging in size from 1/2" to 1 1/2".

 

Goldfish are terrible parents, eating eggs almost as soon as they are spawned and feasting on the babies as well. So I'll just enjoy the show until fall, when I will take a head count, see who is still swimming, and find homes for most of the young 'uns. I'll probably keep a few (Happy and Go-lucky if they make it). It's fun to know that Survivor probably fathered some of these and the offspring of Pete's pond fish will still grace my pond.

On a final note, the big fish were fooling around again this morning and I captured this shot of some eggs tucked amongst some algae under the rock edge. Of course the "parents" are gobbling up as many eggs as they can find...but we'll see.