Seven years ago my wife wanted a koi pond. Her father had one that he loved for years and she knew it was just something she had to have. She designed it and did most of the work; I merely helped her with the heavy lifting. I must admit that when it was done it looked very good. Unfortunately, however, over time it began to have problems which are indicative of a self-help project and inexperience. We had trouble keeping the water crystal clear (we really didn't want to use many chemicals) and the lineR became brittle and eventually began to crack in the Florida sun. As the leakage became evident, we knew it had to be replaced and we decided to get professional help.
A pond designer, Kevin Klaney, a man with an artistic flair and subject matter knowledge on self-cleaning ponds, designed a pond layout which would be both a huge enhancement and also take away most of the routine cleaning labor. Installing an above ground second pond, with a waterfall flowing in and out created a natural environment with plants which self-cleaned and also made for an interesting show. My efforts were primarily relocating dirt as necessary to build the upper, above ground pond so that a beautiful rock waterfall could carry the water back down to the fish.
We had a number of hybrids and beautiful koi and decided to add a few more which were brought in. Once the pond was tested and working, we placed the koi in the water and were instantaneously amazed at how they responded. They jumped into action upon introduction, swimming with vigor and schooling as if they were in a river looking for food. And none was more dramatic than Torpedo, our largest koi, a yellow and black spotted fish who would routinely patrol the pond like a torpedo searching for a target. But his patrols were slow and lazy in the past as if he didn't have much energy. I surmise it was because of the lesser quality of the water in the old pond layout with significant algae problems always cropping up.
Just the other day, however, an event happened that convinced me he needed a new name. I was standing in the kitchen in the late afternoon preparing something to eat when I watched Torpedo circling the pond. This was not a leisurely circling exercise; he picked up speed on each cycle and finally turned vertical and jumped straight up, bringing his entire body out of the water before submerging. He looked just like Shamu in a show at Sea World and, voila, a new name was born.
And it made me think of something serious. The environment in which we live has so much impact on our abilities to live up to our potential. We have to do the heavy lifting to reach peak performance, but when an environment is favorable for a top performance, it really shows. And as for the former Torpedo, now Shamu, I look forward to enjoying his performances in the days ahead.
And I hope you will enjoy my new show on North Florida Writer Radio, Living Life to the Fullest, beginning tonight at 9. It will be available as a podcast on demand thereafter. Tonight's show will be a solo introduction; I look forward to having a variety of guests in the future. Here's the link:
tobtr.com/s/7628209
Below is a picture of our fish in their new home. Shamu is the large yellow one with black spots. God bless you all and have a great day.
ANIMALS, ALL ANIMALS: A WONDERFUL GIFT FROM GOD
A pond designer, Kevin Klaney, a man with an artistic flair and subject matter knowledge on self-cleaning ponds, designed a pond layout which would be both a huge enhancement and also take away most of the routine cleaning labor. Installing an above ground second pond, with a waterfall flowing in and out created a natural environment with plants which self-cleaned and also made for an interesting show. My efforts were primarily relocating dirt as necessary to build the upper, above ground pond so that a beautiful rock waterfall could carry the water back down to the fish.
We had a number of hybrids and beautiful koi and decided to add a few more which were brought in. Once the pond was tested and working, we placed the koi in the water and were instantaneously amazed at how they responded. They jumped into action upon introduction, swimming with vigor and schooling as if they were in a river looking for food. And none was more dramatic than Torpedo, our largest koi, a yellow and black spotted fish who would routinely patrol the pond like a torpedo searching for a target. But his patrols were slow and lazy in the past as if he didn't have much energy. I surmise it was because of the lesser quality of the water in the old pond layout with significant algae problems always cropping up.
Just the other day, however, an event happened that convinced me he needed a new name. I was standing in the kitchen in the late afternoon preparing something to eat when I watched Torpedo circling the pond. This was not a leisurely circling exercise; he picked up speed on each cycle and finally turned vertical and jumped straight up, bringing his entire body out of the water before submerging. He looked just like Shamu in a show at Sea World and, voila, a new name was born.
And it made me think of something serious. The environment in which we live has so much impact on our abilities to live up to our potential. We have to do the heavy lifting to reach peak performance, but when an environment is favorable for a top performance, it really shows. And as for the former Torpedo, now Shamu, I look forward to enjoying his performances in the days ahead.
And I hope you will enjoy my new show on North Florida Writer Radio, Living Life to the Fullest, beginning tonight at 9. It will be available as a podcast on demand thereafter. Tonight's show will be a solo introduction; I look forward to having a variety of guests in the future. Here's the link:
tobtr.com/s/7628209
Below is a picture of our fish in their new home. Shamu is the large yellow one with black spots. God bless you all and have a great day.
ANIMALS, ALL ANIMALS: A WONDERFUL GIFT FROM GOD
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