Messages

1

Pond Chat / Re: Oh, s***t Snake !!!!!

« on: June 15, 2009, 08:54:15 PM »

I have to agree with Leanne.

Try to identify whether the snake is poisonous or not.  If it's a threat to you (poisonous), then by all means, kill it, because you and your loved ones are more important than a snake.  But if it's nonpoisonous, you should look at it as a VERY INTERESTING event of nature that we don't get to observe very often. 

If there's one . . . there's probably more.  And no, you can't lasso a snake.  You're lucky if you even spot them, they hide so well.

A pond is not an aquarium.  You created it to become a part of nature.  If you have a harmless snake enjoying it, you've succeeded.  Hopefully, your sacrificial goldfish aren't 10" long but more like my 29 cent specials. 

Keep a camera next to the back door and enjoy the show.  If you get a photo of a snake with a goldfish halfway down, you'll have a photo of a lifetime.

Enjoy the excitement.  It probably won't last very long before he moves on.

2

Pond Chat / Re: I Smell a Rat

« on: June 15, 2009, 08:23:37 PM »

RAT STORY CONTINUED . . .

A few nights later, I was again watching TV with the half-dead oblivious dog at my feet and he WALKED THROUGH THE LIVING ROOM BETWEEN ME AND THE TV on his way from the torn up kitchen to the temporary kitchen.  He gave me a "go to hell" look as he passed me.

OK, THIS MEANS WAR!!!!!

At this point, I didn't care where in the house he died.  He just needed to die! 

I couldn't put traps and poison in the house, since I was afraid my blind, deaf, and barely walking dog would get into it.   But I had the basement and attic filled with rat poison mixed with peanut butter.  I had large glue traps there.  I had squirrel traps.  I had the biggest snap close traps I could find. 

He seemed immune to every effort.

Hurricane Andrew hit Miami (1992).  We have a facility there that was badly damaged and I left Atlanta with a few hours notice and stayed there for six weeks working on getting the facility restored.  I flew back to Atlanta, stayed overnight, and left for a three-week Mission trip.  So I was gone from the house for 9 weeks (dog at my parents).

When I returned, NO RAT.  Gone.  Kaput!  Good riddance.  10 years later, during some attic insulation work, I pulled up a batt of insulation and he was lying underneath.  FLAT AS A PANCAKE.  Just skin and bones left.  I can honestly say I hope he suffered . . .

So the next time you have a critter, just be grateful he's not crawling thorugh the wall behind your head at night.

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Pond Chat / Re: I Smell a Rat

« on: June 15, 2009, 08:07:52 PM »

OK, I have a rat story, too . . .

About 15 years ago, I was doing a major renovation on my 1920's house.  I had the kitchen gutted and since I work slowly (REALLY slowly), I had taken the base cabinets to the spare bedroom and set up a "temporary kitchen" there, complete with sink, dishwasher, microwave, and fridge.

One night, I was sitting in the living room, watching TV.  I heard dogfood crunching in the temporary kitchen.  I looked down and saw my ancient Old English Sheepdog practically comatose at my feet.  I snuck to the temp kitchen and flipped on the light and there was be the biggest rat I'd ever seen enjoying the dog's dry dog food.  His body was a good 10 inches long and with that gross tail, he was at least 2 feet long. 

He ran for the torn up kitchen and disappeared through a hole in the floor where new plumbing was to go.

I didn't want to poison him, because I was afraid he'd crawl up into my good plaster walls and die.  And for those of you with ancient lathe and plaster walls, you know you'll do anything to avoid messing up a good one.

This nightly feeding at the dog food bowl, or chewing into plastic bins of dogfood or flour or pasta, went on for a couple of weeks with me totally grossed out. 

One night, I'm asleep in bed, I wake up to this movement behind my head (NO, don't panic).  He's crawling up the outside of a bathroom drainpipe inside the wall behind my headboard.  Needless to say, I didn't go back to sleep.    CONTINUED NEXT POST . . .

4

Photo Album / Re: ok everyone put your frog or bug pics up..........

« on: June 15, 2009, 07:34:59 PM »

Not exactly a frog or a bug . . .

5

Photo Album / Re: Name that water lily!

« on: December 11, 2008, 02:28:52 PM »

Oderata or Oderata Gigantea

I think you nailed it.  Thanks for your help.

I'll have to take a couple of measurements to see if the pads truly fall in the 12" - 16" range to qualify for "gigantea" status, but I think it's a bit of a stretch.  They are large pads, so it will be close.

The photos I found of this variety online appear to be a match.  And one Florida map shows them as being native in almost every Florida county.
 
I had always assumed they were introduced to this pond, since I haven't found any similar water lilies in the waterways nearby (and there are miles of river, sloughs, canals, swamps, and ponds surrounding my pond).  But now, I'm not so sure.  They may have just found ideal growing conditions.

6

Aquatic and Terrestrial Plant Exchange / Re: Still have too many tropicals

« on: August 04, 2008, 07:21:19 PM »

Attached are a few photos of the lilies in my new tiny water garden.  Excuse the poor photography . . . they are from my cellphone.

Photo 1:  75% of the pads you see are the three lilies I ordered from Kat (Blue Star, Rhonda Kay, & Wood's Blue Goddess).

Photo 2:  A photo of the flower bud on the 3rd day after planting in the pond.  It rose about 6 inches in 24 hours.  Kudzu has nothing on water lilies.     I think it's the Blue Star.  Too bad it will be gone by the time I get back to Florida.

Photo 3:  View of the pond from the LOWER porch.  Still working on the stone.  Have to do a bit of cutting on the back pieces, have to fill in at the edge of the porch, and plant dwarf mondo in the joints.  Oh, and the hairy fish in the foreground is Maggie.

Photo 4:  View of the pond from the UPPER porch.  Dug the pond 7 weeks ago (a preformed 6 foot hard plastic pool).  Planted most of what you see within 30 feet of the pond at the same time.  It's amazing how fast things grow in the swamp (soft sand/soupy mucky black soil, hot, humid, and the sprinkler system running 1.5 hours a day.  Ha. Ha).

7

Aquatic and Terrestrial Plant Exchange / Re: Still have too many tropicals

« on: August 03, 2008, 10:51:59 PM »

My package arrived Thursday . . . just as a storm blew through.  I was going to use the storm as an excuse for a nap.  Ha. Ha. 

But I was too excited about the contents to nap then.  So I went down to the lower back porch and potted them up right away.

Beautiful lilies, Kat!  And thanks for all the "extras" in the box.  Just getting my tiny pond at the vacation house started, so the lilies have really filled it out nicely. 

The Blue Star's flower bud rose to the surface within 24 hours.  Amazing.  But it was still just a bud when I had to leave Sunday afternoon back to Atlanta.  I hate that I'm going to miss seeing it bloom.

The short woody papyrus looking cuttings that look like they've been clipped . . . What are they?  How should I root them?  And that is that thick (3/4" diameter) runner type plant?

I'll post pics tomorrow after I've recovered from the drive home.

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Pond Chat / Re: Pictures from around the pond today.

« on: July 29, 2008, 05:53:04 PM »

In the first photo, what are the red flowers next to the purple coneflowers?  Are they one of the new red hybrids of coneflower?

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Pond Chat / Re: Add A Sphere

« on: July 22, 2008, 05:45:57 PM »

What is the sphere made of?  Glass?  Polycarbonite?  Acrylic?  Mystery plastic?  Ha. Ha.

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Photo Album / Re: Name that water lily!

« on: July 14, 2008, 04:45:18 AM »

Definitely a day bloomer.  They open in the morning after sunrise and close when it gets hot (around 1:00 PM).

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Pond Chat / Re: Pics of frogs, (show us yours)

« on: June 28, 2008, 05:09:55 PM »

It's at least an acre (natural pond).  You can see pics of it in this thread.  http://www.americanponders.com/forum/index.php?topic=6325.0

I've fished in it twice.  So far, one small brim, a gator, and a turtle.  The brim and the turtle went back in.  The gator surprisingly wished to join a witness protection program and has been safely relocated.  He is now living under an assumed name.

The pond is FULL of large turtles.  Last year, I had a beaver problem.  They're gone this year, thank the good Lord.  I figure my chances of ever having fish are zero.  But it is beautiful to look at.

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Pond Chat / Re: Pics of frogs, (show us yours)

« on: June 28, 2008, 04:16:55 PM »

Lawanna,

Trust me, I wasn't too happy when I spotted him.  And my mantra is . . .  "He is an only child of dead parents . . . he is an only child of dead parents . . . "   Ha. Ha.  But now, every time I go out there, I'm scanning for two beady eyes just above the surface.

Phil

13

Pond Chat / Re: Pics of frogs, (show us yours)

« on: June 28, 2008, 03:27:48 PM »

Here's one from my pond . . . oops, you said "frog."  Sorry about that.

14

Photo Album / Re: Name that water lily!

« on: June 27, 2008, 09:03:08 PM »

Well . . . I'm not sure what time they open.  I think it's early morning.  But they definitely close up when the day gets hot (noon to 1 PM). 

I'm headed down to the lake house for the 4th of July holiday.  I'll pay more attention to when they open and close.  I'll report back to you . . .

15

Photo Album / Re: Name that water lily!

« on: June 26, 2008, 05:43:45 PM »

A wider shot . . .

16

Photo Album / Name that water lily!

« on: June 26, 2008, 05:42:20 PM »

Attached are a few photos of the large pond (small lake??) next to my vacation house in the panhandle of Florida. 

What variety of water lily do you think this is?

New to ponds, so assume I know NOTHING.

The history of the pond:  Natural pond on a small island next to the Blackwater River (less than 40 yards away from this pond).  The lake house was the first house built on the island, in 1988.  There are numerous other bodies of water within a stone's throw (e.g., other ponds, a slough, and the Blackwater River).  None of these other bodies of water have any water lilies, so I'm speculating that the lilies in this pond were introduced, rather than being native.

Yes, the water is black, hence the name by native Americans of the adjacent river as the Blackwater River.  Actually, the water is simply tannic (tea-colored), so more than a couple of feet of it creates a very black look.  Although it is tannic, it is very unpolluted.  I think I read on some website that the Blackwater River is the 3rd least polluted river in the U.S.

The Blackwater River empties into Pensacola Bay, just 10 miles away.  So the pond level is slightly affected by the tides (about a 6" rise and fall).  But the pond water (and river) are freshwater, being too far upstream to be salty or brackish.

2nd question:  Since the pond is full of ENORMOUS turtles, I assume my chances of ever having koi there are zilch, right?

Thanks in advance for your insight and sharing your knowledge!