Back Yard Snow

The blizzard draped my back yard, as seen from the dinette, under a thick blanket of snow. Somewhere under that blanket is the pond, all nine large koi, and a light that crosses the pond to light my bench angel. The small stripe of lighter color shows the location of the spotlight. To the right of the spot is what looks like a piece of 2" pipe, which is what it is, an air pipe that I call my chimney, providing an emergency access to oxygen for the koi.

The light and the chimney can be seen more clearly in the detail picture, which focuses on the stand of arborvitae to the west of the pond, and on the weeping Norway spruce to the south.

Pond Visitors

Some years our pond has more visitors than other years. Years that feature frogs are fun as they hold still for hours, it seems, waiting for the right moment to hunt a bug. Years that feature heron visits -- only 2007 so far -- are not so enjoyable. But every summer there comes a time for the visit of the dragonflies.

Up close their beauty is exceptional and they almost seem to realize that as they pose for the telephoto macro shots that will display that beauty. As the time for the dragonflies is the height of summer, the best time to sit out and enjoy the pond, it is always a favorite time in our garden.

Twilight Zone Pond Water Iris

Looking through some recent pond and waterfall favorites, I found this image, with the colors altered in Photoshop. While experimenting, I often delete the results and try to remember the experience. But when one catches my eye, I keep it. This one had a 'Twilight Zone' quality that made me save it. I like it better than the bright yellow original.

The plant is commonly known as a Water Iris. Can't wait for it to bloom again this spring. Who knows where an experiment might lead?

Context Means Lots

Context. As a writer and as a former English teacher I understand the power of context. Whatever it is we are considering, the elements that surround it and affect it mean everything. For example, two years ago a great blue heron found its way onto the berm around my pond and stood there, eyeing the koi below. I chased him and thought I had scared him. I had not.

He returned and gored a four-pond koi. The fish was apparently too large for the heron to eat, and the bird got no meal from the deal, but the koi wound up in my pond skimmer and died soon after. I had to string fishing line all around and across the pond to prevent the heron from returning to finish his meal. A great blue around or in my pond -- in that context -- is something I do not wish to see again.

Yesterday as I took a walk down my block and got to the retention pond only about two hundred yards away, a snowy egret was standing in that pond eyeing the surface, apparently looking for an unsuspecting fish. When I got close enough for a photo, he spread those impressive wings and flew across the pond. That mere two hundred yards -- that differing context -- made all the difference. No fishing line, no chasing, just some photography. My favorite shows the massive wingspan just as he was about to fold the wings and step back into the water. Wonder if he found a meal.

He is welcome down there as far as I am concerned -- as long as he stays down there!