Pond Wars

When I first came to look at this place i saw the pond and noticed the few gold fish still alive in it. I worried as the past seller must of left them behind and was the current renter feeding them ? This was too be the beginning of my emotional attachment as even when i returned for a second look in desperation to find a place i had bought fish flakes to ride along with my Realtor.

When i bought i knew i had several more responsibilities in the way of fish and bought only the best fish food and learned about winter and summer feeding.

A few weeks ago i also learned about this weird creepy bugs attached to some of my bulrushes were empty shells of the pond bugs who emerged as beautiful dragon flies. A magic pond ..

And my seven large fish, turned into 14 large fish and and so on. Last week i stopped counting at 39 babies swimming around. This brought a new dilemma of how big my pond was, and how many fish it could adequately support. And as a rescuer this only means i will eventually need to find good homes for some of these fish. Everything I do is reflected from my work with animals as clearly as the fish in the water. And my mind filters threw the process of adoption such as who hangs out with each other, is there pond sufficient and is it protected from predators?

My little pond is very close to the house and surrounded by all these pigs. I smugly thought we were safe here.

Several years ago gathering up and sorting donations for an upcoming garage sale, I pulled out two decoy ducks. Ducks which will lure other ducks in , who will see there mates and join them at what must be a good food source only to be blasted out of the sky. These ducks would be retired to my Moms garden until last week-end.

Mom arrived on Thursday to spend the night and brought the ducks with her and we released them into the pond. We smiled in delight watching the ducks sail away threw the grass in my little pond.

Monday morning i was sitting at my desk and happened to see the flash of large white wings at my pond. Flying out there in bare feet i scared the large crane and it jolted my biggest gold fish out of his mouth. Screaming "you killed my big one" i cupped the big fish in my hands. She MOVED so i put her back in the pond and thanked God for her life and hoped she would survive her ordeal.

My heart pounding i sprang into action to get a make shift scare crow out there and searched the Internet for ideas on how to protect my fish. I was sick about it, and with them all in hiding the days before me would tell me how many that big bird swallowed before i saw her. The whole ordeal knocked the wind out of me and i mourned as i would for any of my friends in trouble or killed all day. I never left this window and and that bird came back as i saw her shadow overhead and saw her pattern change in flight when she saw my scarecrow first and then me running back out there. At 6:30 that same day a heron flew in and i just happened to look up from the tv and scared her away.

Why now!!!!!!!!!!! Why after all these months are these birds flying in here!!!!!!!! THE DARN DECOY DUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMDAWG """"DECOY"""". These big birds flying over head did see these plastic bills and seeking out good fishing saw two in my pond doing just that. Sick that i did this to my fish i got them the hell out of there.

Yesterday I spent all morning putting chicken wire around the edge of the pond. As both these big birds landed and then walked in. I also flew into town to the pond supply place to buy what ever i needed but they were closed. I ended up going to a few Loonie Stores to buy some whirly things i had seen before. Hoping the movement of these things would keep these birds at bay.


My big fish was laying at the bottom of the pond this morning and i can see torn scales on her from where that big bird's beak had a grip on her. An hour later she is swimming again and i should be working on my grant right now. But i do love them all and my fish are as dear to me as any of the animals here and i pray she makes it.