After Hurricane Katrina last August, it did not rain until the first of October. Then it was dry again for a long while. The pond shrank.
It's deeper at the far end than it appears, but I had nightmares of fevered fish rescues... up to our knees in muck, trying to corral flopping fish who couldn't understand the concept of their own salvation.
I had sometimes wished for a little mud edge in the summer, which might prove attractive to migrating shorebirds. But that's a lot of edge, and the shorebirds are long gone.
Before the end of the year, it started raining again... better, but not yet normal. I heard it's supposed to rain all weekend, so maybe that will help.
Of course Jasmine likes it dry, since she can get right up to the edge and bark at fish.
In the background is the tree that fell during a storm. Beavers had gnawed all around the base, so even though it leafed out last summer, I suppose it was only a matter of time before this happened.
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Critters at Friday Ark.
That first picture looks SOOO familiar to me. Not the actual place, but the circumstance.
ReplyDeleteWould now be the time to get into the pond with a backhoe to pull out some of the sludge and generally deepen the pool?
Maybe I've missed this part already, but did you build that pond? Does it have name? How big is it?
ReplyDeleteHope you get your rain. A picture of the beavers would be nice too!
How fortunate you are to have a pond! If I had such a thing here in New Mexico, I would just sit on the edge and look at it.
ReplyDeleteThe high winds we've had the last few months have taken down a lot of trees. But then if they were healthy they would probably be standing still. The result is an endless supply of firewood and room for the younger guys to grow.
ReplyDeleteYou have beavers too!? All we have is Whiney Mae, a scrawny cat that begs at the door constantly, and Ding-Dong Betty (a black Lab) that gets choked on the creek water because she can't figure out to close her mouth when she jumps in. Both actually belong to Fred. You got all the cool animals.
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures. I like the one with Jasmine in it the best..
ReplyDeleteWow, I always wanted to see a real wildlife beaver. Sometimes it really sucks not to live out in the countryside....
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of 1900 it was gone from Sweden. 1922 they re-planted it here. For the moment they are about 100 000 of them. It still increases and new areas get them too. That's very nice!
Allright POND Pics! Amazing how Jasmine remains a white dog even in the mud.
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures! Jasmine is so pretty there. Barking at fish! Wonder what the poor fish think when she does that? LOL
ReplyDeleteTin foil wrapped around the bottom of the tree usually works to keep them safe from the happy chewers.
ReplyDeleteA while back my dog found a beaver skull in the woods and you would not believe how their teeth grow from inside their skulls. Pretty facinating really.
Pablo, the pond is built up around the sides instead of being dug down. I think it's close to bedrock as it is!
ReplyDeleteRD, it was here already when we bought the place. It's about an acre or so, maybe slightly more. My few pics of the beavers so far are distant and fuzzy!
IGO, when we first moved here I definitely did a lot of pond-staring LOL.
TMG yeah... but somebody needs to tell those beavers to work more in the woods instead of on the few shade trees near the pond!
Annie when you start staying at your new place, you'll see! We met Betty when we picked up the packing peanuts from Fred. She's pretty funny.
Thanks H&B, she's a sweetie.
ML they are nicest when they are not causing flooding problems in your driveway! :)
FC I was just wondering why she looks so clean in that pic and so dirty right now.
Oh Rachel it is one of her favorite games... she sneaks up on the big grass carp, who like to hang out on the edges. She barks and they make a satisfying thump and splash as they turn and head back towards the middle at top speed.
KF Jasmine would have the tinfoil off in a minute! But we're thinking chicken wire if the beavers show up again this spring. Most of the damage was done before we realized what was going on.