:: Time to Drain the Swamp
NO! Time to Fill the tank!
It's a big day in the household. Time to drain the pond and bring the koi and goldfish indoors to their winter quarters. We are really doing this for the fish, but Libby is all a twitter. She is just vibrating with excitement. When vibrating with excitement involves Liberty Bella Gonloco it means the bark, the Bark, The BARK or "and I have hearing aides for this!?!" I'm not sure how the, "Gone to Ground" bark relates to fish, but in this little girl's brain it surely does.
The first part of this historic annual event is to pick the day: it must still warm enough for us to get soaking wet catching fish and before the day winter arrives with 0.5m snow and -25C temperatures and it's associated north winds. The big black horse trough is pulled out of the shed and scrubbed. One of these years I swear we will do this the day we return the fish to the pond and the algae and mineral deposits are easier to remove. After all a body can only take the staccato bark for so long; Libby is an impatient little wench. Where Are The Fish!?!
Fill it already! Where are the fish?!?
The second and most important part monitoring water levels with the care of operators watching the screens on the bridge of a high-tech submarine. In other wards a hazardous undertaking for those with the attention span of... well... us. The pump is put to work draining the fish pond to the delight of the dachsie boys splashing in the water, whilst a hose begins to fill the the trough. I stress, water being pumped out of the pond where the fish are... where Libby is eagerly awaiting shallow water and water going into a tank sitting indoors in one of our big bay windows. Step away from the computer, do not start baking bread, don't pick up that new C.J. Cherryh book -- wait! why not?! Filling a tub??? Draining a pond??? Oh, never mind I'm watching.
There are two koi to be caught and many comet goldfish. On a good year there are even baby goldfish. A couple of years back, Libby was behaving strangely, even for her. For days she would come in and bark to get attention. This we have been well schooled in how to appropriately respond: throw my ball, throw, my ball, ball, ball, throw my ball and we would of course throw her ball. Only this ball obsessed girl turned and ran out back outside to the pond. For days we would go to the pond and say, "Yes, Libby, we see the fish." "We know there are fish in the pond, so do you, silly girl." Then we saw them: baby fish, tiny greenish grey fish. Wow! Our fish had babies. For days we were running out to see the baby fish and I bought fish flakes to feed them. Very exciting! But Libby Lu never repeated her bark at us to come and see the baby fish behaviour that year. (edit: although she repeated this routine every year; every year we repeated this routine.) We felt like not so bright hoomans.
The fish are caught along with a few new babies. The filter is running and the lilies in their winter tub. Now we have the fun of keeping Libby out of pond winter quarters. First we notice the tank is close to the window ledge and to dachshund eyes -- FISH! SPLASH! Boxes and storage tubs can be moved, a 150 gallon black rubber tub filled with fish, planted lilies and assorted fish, not so much. We set up a viewing deck for Libby. She proceeds to attempt to walk on the narrow tank edge, heading to her preferred fishing spot atop the waterlilies. Undaunted by tumbles into the water she finally makes it.
Scheme ... never give up ... success
A final thought on Libby's favourite stunt just before bedtime...in the pond, around the house, up onto the bed, back down into the pond, a couple laps around the house, into the pond, and back up stairs, onto the bed... repeat until exhausted and we are on the floor in helpless laughter. So she is extremely happy and we are using every towel we own to mop up the water.
wishing you another day full of laughter,
Zuzia,
:: heading back to the stock tank to rescue my poor waterlilies! Don't worry my Sweetie has Libby Lu on his lap, all wrapped and warm in a big fluffy towel.
Stay Calm, Be Brave, ..... FISH! With love,
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jgs / |`= the Little Brown Bird