Dog Fishing

My dogs have decided that the most fun thing in their world is to go fishing.  Sister, the red weenie, wouldn't dream of touching her toe outside if there is a raindrop on the ground.  Yet, the lure of fishing makes her abandon all of her inhibitions.  The girls go crazy; howling and barking; they really flip out.

From the time the lure or worm is cast, they fly into the pond; try to swim out to catch the cork monster.  And, they have been hooked too.

Sister is coming back with her fish while Emmy...

guards her catch.

Finally, Sister has a good roll in fish stink.

I love my weenies so.  They are like my children.  I cannot imagine life without them.  My middle daughter once posted a pic of Emmy on facebook and said, "This is my sister.  Mom loves her more."

Here is a poem from Edna St.Vincent Millay that I love.

"Parrots, tortoises and redwoods live a longer life than men do;

Men, a longer life than dogs do;

Dogs, a longer life than love does."

WHERE THE WILD FISH ARE

As you have seen before, my goldfish in the goldfish pond somehow know when I am around. Maybe ground vibrations from my footfall or perhaps they can see me, which brings me to the wild fish in our other ponds. They too know when I am coming. They meet me at the edge of the pond. Teeny one inch new hatchlings swarm around the edge closest while the larger ones stay in deeper water. All are waiting for their daily feeding of fish flakes, pellets and bread. They have excellent vision. They see me and move with my motions. When bread flies over them they race for it. There is a large crop of new babies this year. I really think they would be tamed if I would swim with them. The perch are the friendliest as are the catfish. The bass are the stealth fighters; they lay in wait and strike like a missile. I don't like them. Click on the pic to see them close up. I only let people fish these ponds if they catch and release, but rarely, if that.

Aquarium of Sorts

This is one of my favorite finds. It is a fish bowl holder for lack of a better name. I have had a betta in it before and a goldfish in another bowl. I have a green fish bowl that goes very nicely with the piece, but you can't see the fish swimming around in it which defeats the purpose. I love the way the children are looking down at it. I have another one like it only it is terracotta. The two children are fishing over the bowl. The terracotta holder is much older than this one and had a fountain coming up the back of it. I was going to turn it into a fishbowl lamp, but like many of my projects, it ended up being difficult, as I am having a hard time trying to wire it for electricity. Right now, no little fishies, but I might just try again.

Goldfish Love

Here are a few of the goldfish that inhabit my goldfish pond. I have been cleaning it out as of late. The cottonmouth water moccasins haven't come out from their hibernation yet, so I have been dredging the bottom for leaves and oxygenators, et al. I even had to get in the pond. Luckily, the water was so cold my legs became numb. Anyway, these goldfish are too cute. They come to the edge of the pond when I walk up to it, wiggling their tails; just swarm around the edge. I would swear they know me, wait for me, but for the fact that I feed them fish flakes.