Don't worry, this is not some demented change of circumstance resulting in my Koi being whipped from the pond and served up in a tangy red sauce served with boiled or fried rice! However keep reading and you'll soon understand the reasoning behind the latest blog title ...
We were lucky enough to be able to visit A19 Koi & Pond Supplies just after Paul had received his latest shipment of hand picked Koi. The quality of the Koi available was fantastic with an amazing array of varieties and sizes available - definitely something for everyone! Needless to say that four or five fish certainly grabbed out attention, two of which standing out from the others ..... a stunning Yamabuki Hariwake and an equally beautiful Budo Goromo. It didn't take us long to convince ourselves that we simply had to have these Koi and therefore asked Paul to put them aside and save them for us whilst undertaking quarantine protocols. Needless to say we've been waiting with baited breath ever since for the telephone call from Paul to say that we can finally collect them. The call finally came and so yesterday saw us speeding over to A19 Koi to pick up our new Koi.
We'd already moved some to the Koi from the QT system to the main pond in readiness of the new arrivals and so as soon as we were home the new Koi were floated for around 30-40 minutes before finally being released. The kettle went on again and we were soon stood, coffee in hand, observing and admiring our new Koi. It's that sweet moment enjoyed by all Koi keepers when they introduce a new Koi to their own ponds.
Unfortunately our indulgence of this sweet moment came crashing to an end when our son fell over, crashing face first into one of the upright wooden support post. Tears and crying ensued, as did the blood, as we comforted him whilst trying to asses the damage.After carefully cleaning some of the blood away we could clearly see that he'd split his upper lip quite deeply which looked like it may need stitches. Apart from this and a few other minor grazes he'd managed to escape unscathed, which is miracle considering the force and how he hit the post! We both switched into super efficient mode in order to get him to hospital as quickly as possible. The dogs were quickly put away, the lid put on the paint (the brush would have to wait), house locked up and doing warp factor 8 to York A&E where he was seen by a wonderful nurse who really looked after him. He was glued back together (less invasive than having to have stitched was the consensus of opinion) and after a brief visit to Grandma's & Grandad's we were on our way back home and to get something to eat.
We arrived back home with pizza in hand (his favourite which seemed the comforting thing to do after his ordeal) but before tucking in thought it best to let the dogs out. A quick look to see how the fish in the QT were ......... 1 MISSING!
Our hearts sank when we quickly realised that our new Yamabuki Hariwake must have jumped out of the QT whilst we'd been getting medical attention. What's more, it seems to be a general rule in our house where the dogs are concerned that anything landing on the floor simply becomes "fair game". And in this instance, it was the new Koi. The only piece of evidence as to the fate of the Koi was a couple of scales left on the floor and two dogs with fishy breath!
Yes you're right ..... you shouldn't laugh !!! Although I am trying my very hardest to inject a little philosophy and humour into this post in an attempt not to be miserable at the least .... or erupt like Mt Etna.
We're finding it very difficult to come to terms with the "it's just one of those things" philosophy and ditch the "what if" thoughts that plague you when hindsight comes in to fruition. We'd already planned to cover the QT over for the first few nights or so whilst the new arrivals settled in, but it simply never crossed our mind earlier when the focus was quite rightly, on our son.
The other new Koi, the Budo Goromo, is a little skittish at present but will no doubt settle down very soon for it's brief holiday in the QT before finally being introduced in to the main pond in around 4-6 weeks time.
As for the progress we're making on the main pond ..... well that's another post - soon!
3 April 2012
11 March 2012
And They're Off
No we're not talking about clothes - you lot never change! Nor are we talking about horse racing! We're actually referring to the covers around our pond!
This bout of warm weather we're experiencing has certainly kicked start the "let's get outside" feeling in a big way. Even the little one (who's not so little anymore) has been nagging to be out playing in his garden. So come Saturday morning we were out and about early in the garden and planning, over a cup of coffee of course, this seasons "jobs to do" list. Hey, who said anything about being out in the garden simply relaxing!
The first thing on the agenda is to complete the pond build, or at least finish off the titivating. This includes finishing off the external pond walls and also the pond wall tops, or coping stones. Again we have an idea in mind and so the planning of how best to execute our plans was main consideration .... time for another coffee i think!
That did the trick. Strategy formed and a clear plan of action etched in to our brains - remove the covers so that we can see the wood for the trees, or in our case the blockwork for the future work to be completed.
The fish looked to have survived the cold of the water well. No sooner were the covers removed the fish were up in the corner where they're normally fed, mouths agape. They soon looked content after a little bit of wheatgerm. We soon washed out the header pond and began the process of filling, ready for switching on the skimmer again. We'd been running the skimmer periodically over the winter but sending it straight to waste. We also added some clay as a bit of a conditioner, plus there was signs of a little algae growth and we've found that the clay helps remove this. The UV was also switched on.
It was great to sit back afterwards watching the fish swim past the window again and do circuits around the pond. It was also simply great to be able to sit outside without the need for cold weather gear or waterproofs and begin to enjoy the fresh air and being outside again. To a certain degree, a sense of freedom from one element of our home, the brick walls of the inside, to another aspect which we thoroughly enjoy and spend a lot of time in .... the garden and especially the pond. The dogs also seem to share this philosophy.
Taking the covers off may be a little premature as i'm sure this glorious weather won't be maintained, after all it is the UK. However access to the pond and area is once again unrestricted which will allow us to get on and do what we want, when we want. And we're looking forward to it!
More to come ....
This bout of warm weather we're experiencing has certainly kicked start the "let's get outside" feeling in a big way. Even the little one (who's not so little anymore) has been nagging to be out playing in his garden. So come Saturday morning we were out and about early in the garden and planning, over a cup of coffee of course, this seasons "jobs to do" list. Hey, who said anything about being out in the garden simply relaxing!
The first thing on the agenda is to complete the pond build, or at least finish off the titivating. This includes finishing off the external pond walls and also the pond wall tops, or coping stones. Again we have an idea in mind and so the planning of how best to execute our plans was main consideration .... time for another coffee i think!
That did the trick. Strategy formed and a clear plan of action etched in to our brains - remove the covers so that we can see the wood for the trees, or in our case the blockwork for the future work to be completed.
The fish looked to have survived the cold of the water well. No sooner were the covers removed the fish were up in the corner where they're normally fed, mouths agape. They soon looked content after a little bit of wheatgerm. We soon washed out the header pond and began the process of filling, ready for switching on the skimmer again. We'd been running the skimmer periodically over the winter but sending it straight to waste. We also added some clay as a bit of a conditioner, plus there was signs of a little algae growth and we've found that the clay helps remove this. The UV was also switched on.
It was great to sit back afterwards watching the fish swim past the window again and do circuits around the pond. It was also simply great to be able to sit outside without the need for cold weather gear or waterproofs and begin to enjoy the fresh air and being outside again. To a certain degree, a sense of freedom from one element of our home, the brick walls of the inside, to another aspect which we thoroughly enjoy and spend a lot of time in .... the garden and especially the pond. The dogs also seem to share this philosophy.
Taking the covers off may be a little premature as i'm sure this glorious weather won't be maintained, after all it is the UK. However access to the pond and area is once again unrestricted which will allow us to get on and do what we want, when we want. And we're looking forward to it!
More to come ....
8 January 2012
Batten Down The Hatches
First of all ..... hope you all had a great Christmas and our best wishes for the New Year!
Who knows what new and thrilling times lay ahead as we enter in to 2012. One thing is for sure when it comes to the pond life in 2012 will start off the same as it left 2011 .... with the covers ON!
Behind the scenes (or the covers for that matter) everything's running as should and the Koi in the pond seem to be weathering the winter well. We had a small hiccup during the severe windy conditions just prior to Christmas when one of the polycarb panels on the filter house roof managed to be ripped off. Thankfully it wasn't raining at the same time and we managed to fix the panel back on again the next day, just before a downpour!
The Koi in the QT system are thoroughly enjoying the luxury of a winter spent swimming around at 13C. We're finding it very difficult to not feed them as we did in the warmer temperatures.
After a very busy 2011, in fact quite hectic at times, we're hoping that in 2012 we'll be able to kick back and enjoy the fruits of our labour .... whilst having a beer and a BBQ of course. Before then though we've still a few jobs to attend to which have been left over from the previous year. These include :-
Happy 2012!
Who knows what new and thrilling times lay ahead as we enter in to 2012. One thing is for sure when it comes to the pond life in 2012 will start off the same as it left 2011 .... with the covers ON!
Behind the scenes (or the covers for that matter) everything's running as should and the Koi in the pond seem to be weathering the winter well. We had a small hiccup during the severe windy conditions just prior to Christmas when one of the polycarb panels on the filter house roof managed to be ripped off. Thankfully it wasn't raining at the same time and we managed to fix the panel back on again the next day, just before a downpour!
The Koi in the QT system are thoroughly enjoying the luxury of a winter spent swimming around at 13C. We're finding it very difficult to not feed them as we did in the warmer temperatures.
After a very busy 2011, in fact quite hectic at times, we're hoping that in 2012 we'll be able to kick back and enjoy the fruits of our labour .... whilst having a beer and a BBQ of course. Before then though we've still a few jobs to attend to which have been left over from the previous year. These include :-
- Completing the brickwork around the posts and window of the pond.
- Applying the edging around the pond.
- Applying the render to the outside walls.
Happy 2012!
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