Ponds 2013 III

thank you Mary, and I know Bonnie is more than willing. This project will have to wait till I find employment and then after 6 months then I'll be ready.

Jan

Bonnie hasn't chimed in lately, I think I'll check on her....

HI ALL,
Been occupied with cell phone, home phone problems. Also, bought a new computer and haven't had the time to hook it up. Probably will take me some time to do that as I'm not a techy as you all know.
I've got plants blooming now that should have bloomed during the summer but I'm happy to see them any time.
Just rec'd a new bulb for the UV on old pond. Hope to get it installed tomorrow as pond is green as grass. Fish don't seem to care but I sure do. Big ones in larger pond are doing fine. It is clear thank God.
Activities are getting busy at church also. Bought 4 turkeys so I can give some away as theres always someone that can use one.
Also, involved with trying to give my son 5 acres of our property. Went to County offices other day and what a hassel is involved. Waiting for first step and thats for it to be surveyed as it has to be within 6 mos. of deeding. We have to prove that we raise cows and sell some to keep our agtriculture exemption. If we loose that we will never be able to pay the high taxes. They also have an impact fee on him bldg. a new house. We have to get all papers submitted by Jan. 12 or impact fee will be $6,800. And it goes up higher after that and he said he won't build if that happens.
Talk about highway robbery.
Carolyn, I know just what you mean with a husb. going downhill and having to do more around home. I will pray for strength for both of us.
Oberon, just looking at your pond gave me the chills.
Jan will always be available to help out with your pond.
Merry Mary, I'm hoping during this cooler period you get time to dig your pond.
All, for now just wanted to let you know I'm still kicking.
Sydney (sugarweed) is thinking about a RU in Okeechobee. I won't have time probably until into Jan.
Happy ponding.
Bonnie

Bonnie

Glad to here your ok, sorry to hear about the issues with the land for your son. Gosh nothing is easy anymore. What is this world coming to. So Glad I'm the age I am.

Jan

Hi All,
Boy this PC is way smarter than me. Has a built in webcam which I will really enjoy once I learn it. Got so in Cal. I can talk to and see at same time.
Don't expect anything fancy from me until I get adapted to it. I did however transfers 100's o pics to a flash drive by myself. Made me proud.
Happy ponding to all.
Bonnie

Suit up for the 21st century Bonnie. Sounds like you are pulling way ahead of me.

Bonnie...I'm proud of you for trying anything new!! I'm not really great about tech stuff, but I often look at the under water cameras that go from your pond to your tv or computer.

Okay. I missed that. Me too. I would love the sit in my house and watch my fish doing fishy things. :)

Bonnie's Plants sells them. Also Pondtastic Water Gardens right in Orlando, Fl. has them too. He has it running inside of his bldg. probably to keep an eye on his fish as pond is out front of the bldg. right near a sidewalk.
I think its pretty cool.

http://www.bonniesplants.com/KoiCam.html

Here's the link. During the day she turns the camera on and you can see her fish swimming around.

thanks for the url. Will take a look. Would need the 165 feet to reach my tv

I would love to have that myself - it is a little out of my price range at this time.

We are in a deep freeze here and when I was leaving this morning for work, I saw where there was ice on the pond. We will be shutting it down tonight after work. I am not looking forward to this. This will be the earliest we have ever shut it down since we started ponding in 2000.

Brrrrrr.....

You have my sympathy. Ours was also frozen over when we shut down. Yuk.

Wednesday night will be 37 degrees, which is VERY unusual for us, especially in November. It will most likely kill my smaller fish like guppies and mollies, which inhabit my water lily shallow areas. I currently have a billion fry, so they will for sure be goners. After that it will be in the 50's, but all it takes is one cold night in the shallows. The large fish in deeper water will be fine for a night or 2. Bought some more healthy bacteria today, to react a for a few days while the water is still warm before the brrrrr chill comes in!

I have the bacteria that comes from the Arctic Ocean and is good down to 32F. Basically until the water turns to ice. I suspect it just goes dormant then when the melt comes it becomes active again.

very interesting Mary.

Jan

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and to all those that are traveling, please be safe.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! Safe travels and happy moments! :)

Hi All,
Been kind of busy. Replaced over 500 light bulbs on Christmas lights. Got them in place but Charlie still has 35 small extension cords to attach from figure to figure. Takes 4 heavy duty cords also plus transformer to make camel's legs walk. Think I'm getting too old to fuss with all this set but I love it once its up.
Put new bulb in UV didn't work nor did transformer. Son brought his electric tools over and checked that. Was $85. to replace so junked it. Got refund over phone as I guess I sounded mad. I'm done with buying from Acquatic Eco. Since they have been bought out a lot of things have changed and my other UV has been discontinued so probably no more bulbs will be available for that one. Ordered new Tetra today from Webb's as it has a much cheaper replacement bulb.
Printer broke down also so bought a new one today at Office Depot. Took me 2 days t figure out how to add old one now I have to figure out how uninstall it and add new one. Pretty much have new house phones figured out. All this techy stuff is enough to drive you crazy but I will persist and maybe in 2 years I'll have it figured out. First thing I had to master was my e-mail. Can't do without that.
Hope you all had wonderful Thanksgiving and plenty of family and food. Good movie coming on tonight so got to run. Christmas In Conway. Got a feeling it will be a tear jerker but that's ok as long as its clean.
Bonnie

Not sure why but old pond is still crystal clear without UV clarifier. Should be here from Webb's soon. I think Carolyn recommended them.

My pond gets crystal clear this time of year but I think that is because the surface 'stuff' dies off in the cold and sinks to the bottom. Also no reflection from algae - same reason.

Mary, you will have to start a Ponds 2014 pretty soon. lol

I like both Webbs and Dr. Fosters.

Can you believe - 2014?

2014 is just around the corner! Hard to believe (it reminds me I'm still so far behind!) My new year's resolution will be to not stress about it anymore though! :)

I use both Webbs and Dr. Frosters as well as Pet Solutions. Dr. Foster won't ship USPS so I only buy from them if I really need it.

Foster and Smith uses Fedex. I am surprised that Fedex won't accommodate in your area, Mary. Or is it because of the $?

Dollars. FedEx is terribly expensive when measured against USPS. So is UPS. And a few days later in delivery doesn't generally matter to me. They say say they have contracts with one or the other that prohibits them from shipping any other way. I can understand this. I am sure they get a good rate from FedEx or UPS for exclusive shipping rights. That is great for them but not for me.

That stinks. Truthfully, I am not terribly thrilled with UPS. Seems like everything gets damaged with UPS.

Isn't fedex the company that ships the live koi?

I've had koi shipped from all 3...but I would imagine Alaska or Hawaii have different considerations. I honestly get most of my pond things from ebay, because they take paypal and guarantee the item. They'll take the money out of the sellers account themselves if the item doesnt work or isn't what it was said to be. I like having someone larger than me refunding my money.

Yes, the one or two times I have ordered koi they would be shipped FedEx. It is the old thing about Alaska not being part of the United States -- the word contiguous comes into play. Where ever it says "free shipping with orders of blah blah" always qualifies it 'applies to contiguous states.' No wonder so many people up here want to cede. We send more money to the lower 48 (think big government) than we get in any sort of subsidies or revenue sharing. Anyway... no big thing. Years ago, before internet shopping, up in Fairbanks we had maybe one or two clothing stores, one book store, etc all privately owned. Small local shop owners, no MacDonalds, No Taco Bell, no fast food at all. So I cannot gripe (too much) about a little thing like shipping. I just need to shop smarter.

Mary

I don't know if this was ever true, but I use to hear (This is when I was a teen) that if I was to move to AK and live there for 10 years I would then have free health insurance. Was that ever true? I almost did at the time, but of course that was back when I was young and could handle the weather...LOL

Jan

No, it was never true unless you were an eskimo or an aleut. You get used to the weather. Ohio sounds like a pretty cold place. Difference is humidity. Alaska is dry, but you guys with the winds off the great lakes get humidity along with cold from Canada. Darn cold. Not sure if it equates to -55 as we had in Fairbanks, but sounds bitter cold.

so it is dry cold, never experienced that and at this age I hope I never do.... Well I'm glad I didn't move up there when I was a teen as once I got there I would most likely not have had the money to come back home and would have been stuck up there....LOL No seriously DH and I have talked the last 10 years about going there during August but since we both lost our jobs and I've not been able to find another one and he is now on disability, it doesn't look like we will ever make it there now, so I will continue to enjoy seeing on TV.

Jan

Much more comfortable way to see it for sure. Even the winter scenes. I was taking Woody to daycare yesterday and the sun was just coming up (hadn't quite broken over the mountains) behind the Chugach Mountains; the sky was a soft pink with some wispy grey clouds that stretched from one side of the horizon to the other; And as the sun continued rising the colors became more vivid and almost danced as the sun hit them in different ways. The mountains hare about 1/3 snow capped now (will be fully white soon). As I have said before, it is like living in a living Birdsall (local artist.)

sounds so beautiful Mary.


I didn't know they had puppy daycare. What do they do in puppy daycare?

He is matched up with other small dogs in a large room with leather sofas and chairs, beds etc. The room is probably 60' by 40' so lots of room for dogs and dog toys. There are always one or two people in the room to encourage the dogs to play or simply to have them in their lap giving them pets and scratches. I get a 'report card' almost every time that says whether he just laid around, played, etc. Also notes if he 'kept paws to self' was 'respectful of others' etc. He is a pretty mellow little guy so I am sure he loves the pets and scratches. It gives him a day away from me and a chance to romp and play. Gives me a day without his constant hovering and throwing guilt trips on me if I don't sit there with him right next to me all day. Talk about a serious bonding issue.

what a hoot. I should have thought of that back years ago when I had a poodle grooming business.
I'll bet he has a ball playing with all the others.

I have never observed him. I asked about it but they said the dogs know where the door is and if anyone looks in they just run to the door.

It is quite a lucrative business. I pay $410 for 20 days. That is why I only take him once a week. I can also get him groomed and his nails drimmeled

Wow! Sounds like quite the place.

I would be afraid of the dogs fighting - does that ever happen?

If a dog is not socialized, either they won't take them or they stay in a fairly nice kennel by themselves. Some of the little ones can be pretty aggressively alpha, but that is why there is always someone with them to remind them to 'keep their paws to themselves.' If they don't, then either in the kennel or out the door.